Помогите пожалуйста ответить на вопросы по тексту. ECONOMICS AS A SCIENCE Although the content and character...

экономика наука Альфред Маршалл Лайонел Роббинс сравнение наук теоретические принципы данные по экономике поведение человека междисциплинарные исследования
0

Помогите пожалуйста ответить на вопросы по тексту. ECONOMICS AS A SCIENCE Although the content and character of economics cannot be described briefly, numerous writers have attempted that. An especially useless, though once popular, example is: «Economics is what economists do.» Similarly, a notable economist of the last century Alfred Marshall called economics «a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life.» Lionel Robbins in the 1930s described economics as «the science of choice among scarce means to accomplish unlimited ends.» During much of modern history, especially in the nineteenth century, economics was called simply «the science of wealth.» Less seriously, George Bernard Shaw was credited in the early 1900s with the witticism that «economics is the science whose practitioners, even if all were laid end to end, would not reach agreement.» We may make better progress by comparing economics with other subjects. Like every other discipline that attempts to explain observed facts (e.g., physics, astronomy, meteorology), economics comprises a vast collection of descriptive material organized around a central core of theoretical principles. The manner in which theoretical principles are formulated and used in applications varies greatly from one science to another. Like psychology, economics draws much of its theoretical core from intuition, casual observation, and «common knowledge about human nature.» Like astronomy, economics is largely nonexperimental. Like meteorology, economics is relatively inexact, as is weather forecasting. Like particle physics and molecular biology, economics deals with an array of closely interrelated phenomena (as do sociology and social psychology). Like such disciplines as art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, cosmology, and the like, economics attracts different people for different reasons: «One person’s meat is another person’s poison.» Though all disciplines differ, all are remarkably similar in one respect: all are meant to convey an interesting, persuasive, and intellectually satisfying story about selected aspects of experience. As Einstein once put it: «Science is the attempt to make the chaotic diversity of our sense-experience correspond to a logically uniform system of thought.» Economics deals with data on income, employment, expenditure, interest rates, prices and individual activities of production, consumption, transportation, and trade. Economics deals directly with only a tiny fraction of the whole spectrum of human behavior, and so the range of problems considered by economists is relatively narrow. Contrary to popular opinion, economics does not normally include such things as personal finance, ways to start a small business, etc.; in relation to everyday life, the economist is more like an astronomer than a weatherforecaster, more like a physical chemist than a pharmacist, more like a professor of hydrodynamics than a plumber. In principle almost any conceivable problem, from marriage, suicide, capital punishment, and religious observance to tooth brushing, drug abuse, extramarital affairs, and mall shopping, might serve (and, in the case of each of these examples has served) as an object for some economist’s attention. There is, after all, no clear division between «economic» and «noneconomic» phenomena. In practice, however, economists have generally found it expedient to leave the physical and life sciences to those groups that first claimed them, though not always. In recent years economists have invaded territory once claimed exclusively by political scientists and sociologists, not to mention territories claimed by physical anthropologists, experimental psychologists, and paleontologists.

  1. Is there a common opinion on the content and character of economics?
  2. What definition of economics is referred to as «especially useless»?
  3. With what sciences does the author compare economics? Why?
  4. What similarities with economics have the following sciences: a) psychology b) astronomy c) meteorology 4) particle physics and molecular biology 5) art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, cosmology, and the like
  5. What is the scope of economics? What does economics deal with?
  6. What does the author refer to as «popular opinion»?
  7. According to the text, can such problems as marriage and extramarital affairs be the subject of economists’ attention? Is there a division between «economic» and «noneconomic» problems?
  8. What fields have economists «invaded» in recent years?

avatar
задан 5 месяцев назад

3 Ответа

0

  1. Is there a common opinion on the content and character of economics? No, there is not a common opinion on the content and character of economics. The text illustrates that economics has been described in various ways by different authors and has evolved over time. Definitions have ranged from the simple "science of wealth" to more complex notions like "the science of choice among scarce means to accomplish unlimited ends."

  2. What definition of economics is referred to as «especially useless»? The definition referred to as "especially useless" is "Economics is what economists do." This definition was once popular but is criticized for its lack of specificity and depth in explaining what economics truly encompasses.

  3. With what sciences does the author compare economics? Why? The author compares economics with a variety of sciences to highlight its nature and methodology:

    • Psychology: because economics, like psychology, largely draws from intuition and observations about human behavior.
    • Astronomy: because both fields are largely nonexperimental.
    • Meteorology: because both fields deal with predictions and are relatively inexact.
    • Particle physics and molecular biology: because they deal with complex, interrelated phenomena.
    • Art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, and cosmology: because these fields attract diverse interests and perspectives and are about conveying compelling narratives or systems of thought.
  4. What similarities with economics have the following sciences:

    • a) Psychology: Economics and psychology both use intuition and observations about human behavior.
    • b) Astronomy: Both are nonexperimental, relying on observational data rather than experimental manipulation.
    • c) Meteorology: Both are inexact and involve forecasting based on available data.
    • d) Particle physics and molecular biology: Both deal with complex systems where elements are closely interrelated.
    • e) Art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, cosmology, and the like: All these disciplines, like economics, are used to construct narratives or systems that explain certain aspects of the world, albeit from different perspectives.
  5. What is the scope of economics? What does economics deal with? Economics deals with data on income, employment, expenditure, interest rates, prices, and individual activities like production, consumption, transportation, and trade. It focuses on a relatively narrow range of human behaviors directly related to economic transactions and market behaviors. Economics does not typically cover personal finance or how to start a small business, as these are considered too specific and practical compared to its broader theoretical focus.

  6. What does the author refer to as «popular opinion»? The "popular opinion," according to the author, mistakenly includes topics like personal finance and starting a small business within the scope of economics. However, the text clarifies that economics, in a scholarly sense, does not normally deal with these areas.

  7. According to the text, can such problems as marriage and extramarital affairs be the subject of economists’ attention? Is there a division between «economic» and «noneconomic» problems? Yes, problems such as marriage and extramarital affairs can indeed be subjects of economists' attention. The text suggests that there is no clear division between "economic" and "noneconomic" phenomena, indicating that economics can extend its analysis to virtually any area of human behavior if there is a relevant economic aspect to consider.

  8. What fields have economists «invaded» in recent years? In recent years, economists have expanded their research into areas traditionally claimed by political scientists, sociologists, physical anthropologists, experimental psychologists, and paleontologists. This expansion reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of economic research and its applications beyond traditional economic topics.

avatar
ответил 5 месяцев назад
0

  1. There is no common opinion on the content and character of economics, as different writers and economists have provided various definitions and perspectives on the subject.

  2. The definition of economics as "what economists do" is referred to as "especially useless" in the text.

  3. The author compares economics with other sciences such as physics, astronomy, and meteorology to highlight the similarities in terms of organizing descriptive material around theoretical principles.

  4. a) Like psychology, economics draws much of its theoretical core from intuition, casual observation, and common knowledge about human nature. b) Like astronomy, economics is largely nonexperimental. c) Like meteorology, economics is relatively inexact.

  5. a) Like particle physics and molecular biology, economics deals with closely interrelated phenomena. b) Like such disciplines as art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, cosmology, and the like, economics attracts different people for different reasons.

  6. The author refers to the popular opinion that economics includes personal finance and ways to start a small business, which is contrary to the actual scope of economics as discussed in the text.

  7. According to the text, almost any conceivable problem, including marriage and extramarital affairs, can serve as an object for some economist's attention. There is no clear division between "economic" and "noneconomic" phenomena.

  8. In recent years, economists have invaded territories once claimed exclusively by political scientists, sociologists, physical anthropologists, experimental psychologists, and paleontologists.

avatar
ответил 5 месяцев назад
0

  1. No, there is no common opinion on the content and character of economics.
  2. The definition of economics as "what economists do" is referred to as "especially useless."
  3. The author compares economics with other sciences like physics, astronomy, and meteorology to emphasize the theoretical core and descriptive material organized around central principles.
  4. Similarities with economics: a) Like psychology, economics draws much of its theoretical core from intuition and observation about human nature. b) Like astronomy, economics is largely nonexperimental. c) Like meteorology, economics is relatively inexact. d) Like particle physics and molecular biology, economics deals with closely interrelated phenomena. e) Like disciplines such as art, fantasy writing, mathematics, metaphysics, cosmology, economics attracts different people for different reasons.
  5. The scope of economics deals with data on income, employment, expenditure, interest rates, prices, and individual activities of production, consumption, transportation, and trade.
  6. The author refers to personal finance and small business as examples of what economics does not normally include, contrary to popular opinion.
  7. According to the text, problems like marriage and extramarital affairs can be the subject of economists' attention. There is no clear division between "economic" and "noneconomic" phenomena.
  8. Economists have invaded fields once claimed exclusively by political scientists, sociologists, physical anthropologists, experimental psychologists, and paleontologists in recent years.

avatar
ответил 5 месяцев назад

Ваш ответ

Вопросы по теме