Teaching History of Economic Thought from a Philosophical Angle: A 10 Years? Experience

CRESPO, RICARDO F.

Montevideo

Congreso; 8th Latin American Conference on The History of Economic Thought; 2022

ALAHPE

I have been professor of the history of economic thought, delivering courses at Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, and Universidad di Tella. I have usually shared these courses with another colleague. We have divided the course in this way: my colleague has delivered the classical themes of the history of economic thought, while I have simultaneously taught the philosophical underpinnings of the authors and currents that my colleague has presented. My part of the course encompasses the ideas of Aristotle to nowadays: the ideas that underpin the work of classical economists, from Adam Smith to John Stuart Mill, as well as the Marginal Theory, Austrian economics, the Methodenstreit, neoclassical approaches, J. Maynard Keynes? ideas, General Equilibrium theories, and contemporary new developments, behavioural economics, neuroeconomics, evolutionary economics, happiness economics, the capability approach, new institutional perspectives, among others. This tour helps students realize that there are different takes on economic rationality, and on the nature and aims of economics. It also shines a light on the failures of today?s standard economics and shows how to overcome them. The philosophical perspective helps students to understand the shortcomings of today rational choice theories and economic imperialist tendencies. In a recent paper (Crespo 2021) I conveyed my experience as professor in a master in Economics course of ?Philosophy of Economics?. In this new paper I will first present the corresponding part of the syllabus of the course of the History of Economic Thought, explaining the ideas that I highlight for each unit and introducing also the biography used. I will end with a brief conclusion.