A Review of Kuhnian and Lakatosian “Explanations” in Economics



theory in particular” (1994, p. 29). He found, explained and documented some specific hard
core propositions in this theory (1994, pp. 41-2).

From the above Lakatosian SRP implications on various specific economic theories
we can compose the following table:

Table 5

Lakatosian SRP on economic theories

Wage Fund

Intern. Trade

Human Capital

Marginal Utility

Th. of the Firm

Vint, 1999

de Marchi,1976

Blaug, 1976,

1980,

Coats, 1976

Latsis, 1972

Bensel&Elmslie,
1992

Wong, 1978

McGovern, 1994

General Equilibrium

Production

Function

Monetarism

Rational

Expectations

Weintraub, 1985a,
1985b, 1988

Fulton, 1984

Cross, 1982

Maddock,     1984,

1991

Backhouse, 1991

V. Criticisms of Lakatos

As far as Lakatosian ideas are concerned, one can argue that given that his views
have had much more influence among economists, one can also find more detailed criticisms
over the application of Lakatosian ideas to the growth of economic knowledge. The more
general criticism is similar to the one applied to Kuhn and refers to the fact that Lakatos’
ideas developed with main reference to Physics. Thus, many economists such as

18



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