LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2

The course provides knowledge and competences complementary tho those of Logic and Philosophy of Science / 1. It focuses, in particular, on the logic, methodology and philosophy of the social sciences, with particular reference to economics.
The course addresses the status of social sciences, the significance of the economic conception of rationality, the different notions of value, utility, probability, the formal and logical rules governing their use, and the function of models in economic science.

Ability to reflect on the significance and status of scientific descriptions, explanations and predictions, in the social sciences. Ability to understand and evaluate alternative models and arguments in the social sciences. Knowledge of a series of concrete examples in which different epistemologic approaches are at work. Ability to recognise and discuss philosophical assumptions of social and economic theories and to evaluate consequences of philosophical positions for empirical research in the social science.

Logic and Philosophy of Science / 1 is an important framework to appreciate and understand the themes addressed by the course

The status of social sciences
- The scientific status of social science
- Descriptive, explanatory, predictive and prescriptive uses of social science
- Social objects of research: facts, properties, relations, laws, meanings, interpretations
- The case of economics: how does it describe, explain, predict and prescribe its objects of research
- Examples of economic objects: the market, money, poverty, unemployment, institutions, ….
- The architecture of economic theory: assumptions, models, laws, techniques of measurement, …

Topic 2
Assumptions: The concept of economic rationality, axioms and principles
- Decision theoretic models of economic rationality
- Game theoretic models of economic rationality
- Maximisation of expected utility
- Strict and week dominance
- Equilibrium
- Economic rationality and formal ethics

Topic 3
Building blocks: Value, utility, and preference
- The subjectivity and objectivity of utility
- Axioms of utility theory (and their truth)
- Competing theories of utility
- The maximisation of Expected Utility
- Money pump arguments
- Axioms of preference theory and their empirical correctness
- Paradoxes and exceptions
- The relevance of cultural contexts and cultural diversity

Topic 4
Techniques of analysis: probability, its significance and interpretation
- Risk and uncertainty
- The “logic” of probability and its axioms
- “Dutch Book” arguments and the interpretation of probability
- Personalism, frequentism, propensity theories
- Bayesian approaches

Topic 5
Economic modelling
- Types of models in social science and in economic theory
- Causal models vs narrative models
- Models and unrealistic assumptions
- Models and social policies
- Models and values

MAIN REFERENCES
1. Kincaid, Harold (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2012
In particular:
- Kincaid, H.: "Introduction: Doing Philosophy of Social Science" (3-20)
- Goertz, Gary: "Descriptive-Causal Generalizations: 'Empirical Laws' in the Social Sciences?" (85-108)

2. Kincaid, Harold, and Don Ross (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2009
In particular:
- Hausman, Daniel M.: "Laws, Causation, and Economic Methodology" (35-54)
- Rosenberg, Alex: "If Economics Is a Science, What Kind of Science Is It?" (55-67)
- Dowding, Keith: "What Is Welfare and How Can We Measure It?" (511-539)
- Dasgupta, Partha: "Facts and Values in Modern Economics" (580-640)

3. Montuschi, Eleonora: "Application of Models from Social Science to Social Policy" in Magnani, Lorenzo and Tommaso Bertolotti (eds.) Springer Handbook of Model-Based Science. Berlin: Springer 2017 (1103-1116)

4. Reiss, Julian: Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge 2013
In Particular: I. (1-11); Part I (15-26); Part IA (27-81); Part IC (117-141); Part III/12 (209-229)

5. Ross, Don: Philosophy of Economics. London: Palgrave 2014
In Particular: 1 (1-24); 2 (25-96); 3 (97-195)

SUGGESTED READINGS
Giannasi, Matteo and Francesco Casarin: Philosophy of Marketing: The New Realist Approach. Abingdon: Routledge 2022
Guala, Francesco: Understanding Institutions. Princeton: Princeton University Press 2016
Haussman, Daniel, M.: The Philosophy of Economics: An Anthology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2007
Montuschi, Eleonora: The Objects of Social Science. London: Continuum 2003
Risjord, Mark: "Models of Culture", in Kincaid 2012 (387-408)
Searle, John R.: Making the Social World: The Structure of Human Civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010
Ylikoski, Petri: "Micro, Macro, and Mechanisms", in Kincaid 2012 (21-45)

The final test will be written and consist of a series of questions regarding the contents of the course and the main bibliography
It is recommended to focus on the following texts for the preparation of the final test:

I. Kincaid, H. (ed.). 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press
IN PARTICULAR
1. Kincaid, H.: "Introduction: Doing Philosophy of Social Science", in Kincaid 2012 (3-20)
2. Ylikoski, P.: "Micro, Macro, and Mechanisms", in Kincaid 2012 (21-45)
3. Goertz, G.: Descriptive-Causal Generalizations: 'Empirical Laws' in the Social Sciences?, in Kincaid 2012 (85-108)

II. Kincaid, H., and D. Ross (eds.). 2009. The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press
IN PARTICULAR
4. Hausman, D. M.: "Laws, Causation, and Economic Methodology", in Kincaid and Ross 2009 (35-54)
5. Rosenberg, A.: "If Economics Is a Science, What Kind of Science Is It?", in Kincaid and Ross 2009 (55-67)
6. Dowding, K.: "What Is Welfare and How Can We Measure It?", in Kincaid and Ross 2009 (511-539)
7. Dasgupta, P.: "Facts and Values in Modern Economics", in Kincaid and Ross 2009 (580-640)

III. Reiss, Julian: Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge 2013
IN PARTICULAR
I. (1-11); Part I (15-26); Part IA (27-81); Part III/12 (209-229)

Standard lectures, small social experiments and workshops

English

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development