On The Falsificationism Of Popper In Methodology Of Economics

The philosophy of science has greatly influenced on the methodology of economics. It was the logic positivism in philosophy of science that influenced western economics methodology before Karl Popper's falsificationism. Because logic positivism emphasizes verification by experience excessively in distinguishing science and non-science; defines science too strictly; praises induction highly only from one side, objects to deductive method, such defects and difficulties in theory cause difficulties in practice and of economics'own. The scientific dream of economics is vanished. The falsificationism of Popper objects to inductive doctrine of experience and praises highly rational deductive doctrine; replaces positivism by falsificationism, criticizes the theory inherently than protects it externally. This method realizes the revolution of the way of thinking in economics. Falsificationism is the legacy of Popper in economics. It was Hutchison that introduced falsificationism into Economics for the first time. What should prove to be false in the falsificationism methodology of economics, the premise or the prediction of the theory? Aiming at the problem, the economists, Friedman and Samuelson, developed a hot controversy between instrumentalism and operationalism. Before the wave of the controversy appeased, the economists began to criticize Popper's falsificationism to a certain extent and realized some breakthrough. Then falsificationism gave way to historicism. Of course, the falsificationism methodology of Popper has rationality and progressive meaning. It provides us with a set of methodology principle that is performed more easily than verificationism. The concepts, constant falsification and fidelity, are in accord with Marxist methodology. Some examples of falsifacationism in economics show the realistic meaning of falsificationism. The method, conjectures and refutations, has great significance to the development of the Economics of our country. However, some theoretic defects exist in the falsifacationism itself. Duhem –Quine thesis shows the failure of testing by experience. Experience can't offer a credible basis. The viewpoint of truth of falsifacationism has some defects. The falsification of economics itself is not an easy thing. At last, introspecting philosophically to methodology of economics from falsifacationism, point out that neither the falsificationism nor the verificationism is scientific access of economics. The scientific methodology of the economics should be dialectical union of induction and deduction, verification and falsification, logic and history, positivism and norm.