Suppes' Methodology of Economics

• Published in: Theoria (Madrid, Spain) Vol. 26; no. 3(72); pp. 347 - 366
• Main Author: de la Sienra, Adolfo García
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of the Basque Country and the Center for Analysis, Logic, and Legal Informatics (CALIJ) 01.09.2011; University of the Basque Country
• Subjects: Axioms; Data models; Economic models; Economic research; Economic theory; Family structure; Game theory; Mathematical set theory; Philosophy of science; Suppes, economic methodology; Utility functions
• ISSN: 0495-4548; 2171-679X
• DOI: 10.1387/theoria.2559

Even though Patrick Suppes has many important contributions in the logic, methodology, and philosophy of economics (not to mention economics itself) his work in this area is, surprisingly, not well known within the community of economic methodologists. The aim of the present paper is to contribute to fill this lacuna. After presenting his general views on philosophy of science, the paper discusses at length his important notion of model of data, in connection with his famous learning experiments. His views on fundamental measurement are also discussed in connection with such experiments. The article contains a comprehensive bibliography of Suppes on the subject. Aunque las contribuciones de Patrick Suppes en el ámbito de la lógica, la metodología y la filosofía de la economía (por no mencionar a la propia economía) hayan sido importantes, los metodólogos de la economía apenas las conocen. El propósito de este artículo es cubrir este vacío. Presentaremos su concepción general de la filosofía de la ciencia y analizaremos después con detalle su noción de modelos de datos, surgida de sus famosos experimentos sobre aprendizaje. Discutiremos también su concepción de la medición fundamental en relación con tales experimentos. El artículo incluye además una amplia bibliografía de los trabajos de Suppes sobre el tema.