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Econ-Art

Econ-Art

Rick Szostak

(1999)

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Abstract

'While identifying two types of activity, namely econ-art and econ-science, he demonstrates why economists should acknowledge their artistic impulses and develop a more scientific conduct.' ARTbibliographies Modern

Historians of economic thought have long recognised the possibility that cultural influences might be important, but have never analysed them in any detail. In the first study of economics from the perspective of art history, Rick Szostak shows how the cultural influences identified by art historians have affected economic theory. He also reveals that not only has economic theory been informed by aesthetic considerations, but the very methods employed by economists are shown to serve primarily artistic goals.

Professor Szostak assesses the extent of these cultural and aesthetic effects through a wide-ranging study of the development of surrealism, cubism and abstract art, juxtaposed with examples drawn from virtually every field of economics. Two types of endeavour are identified, Econ-Art and Econ-Science. Szostak argues that the pursuit of econ-science would be much aided if economists first recognised their artistic impulses, and then developed more scientific standards of conduct. As the first economist to thoroughly address the question of whether Economics is Art, Professor Szostak raises some important philosophical issues with this volume. The result is a controversial and scholarly, yet accessible, examination of the influence of both culture and aesthetic considerations on economics.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Contents v
Acknowledgements viii
Preface x
Chapter One: Art and Science 1
1.1 Unveiling Econ- Art 1
1.2 The Question of Purpose 3
1.3 The Purpose of Art 6
1.4 Art versus Science 8
1.5 Science versus Art 6
1.6 Art and the Act of Insight 16
1.7 A Micro View 17
1.8 Culture and Economics 19
Chapter Two: Surrealism 24
2.1 Modern Art 24
2.2 The Roots of Surrealism 24
2.3 Surrealism 25
2.4 Surrealism in Econ- Art 28
2.5 Who Cares About Reality? 30
2.6 Toward a Better World? 35
2.7 Primitive Man 39
2.8 An Orderly World 41
2.9 The Quest for Understanding 44
2.10 An Antidote to Nationalism 47
2.11 Suspicion of Authority 48
Chapter Three: Cubism and More 51
3.1 Cubism 51
3.2 The Cubist View of Time 3
3.3 Technological Incursions 55
3.4 Return to the Classics 56
3.5 A Brief Look Back 58
3.6 Abstract and Non- Objective Art 59
3.7 Self- Reference in Econ- Art 8
3.8 The Pursuit of Linearity 65
3.9 The Econ- Art Manifesto 68
Chapter Four: Mathematics as Art 71
4.1 The Deification of Technique 71
4.2 Maths as Art 75
4.3 Automatic Writing 77
4.4 Maths as Science? 79
4.5 Yet Another Perversion 86
4.6 There Exists a Model 86
4.7 Maths is Easy 88
4.8 Maths is Unreal 89
4.9 Mathematics versus Science 90
4.10 An Example: General Equilibrium 92
4.11 A Second Example: Econometrics 96
Chapter Five: Ideology 102
5.1 Ideology in Art 102
5.2 Ideology in Econ- Art 106
5.3 Power 112
5.4 Ideology and the Great Depression 114
Chapter Six: Econ-Art/ Econ-Science 118
6.1 The Existence of Econ- Art 118
6.2 Econ- Art/ Econ- Science 118
6.3 The Quest for Econ- Science 120
6.4 A Lesser Purpose 5
6.5 Artistic Detachment 124
6.6 The Existence of Econ- Science 128
Chapter Seven: Improving Econ-Science 131
7.1 Improving Econ- Science 131
7.2 Reality 132
7.3 Truth versus Beauty 137
7.4 Philosophy of Science 141
7.5 Pancritical Rationalism 6
7.6 Truth 144
7.7 Rhetoric 146
7.8 The Big Picture 149
7.9 Methodological Diversity 154
7.10 A Concrete Example 160
7.11 Theoretical Diversity 160
7.12 Intellectual Honesty 13
7.13 Interdisciplinarity 166
7.14 The Role of the Critic 169
Chapter Eight: The Future of Econ-Science 171
8.1 A Paradigm Shift? 171
8.2 Normal versus Revolutionary Science 177
8.3 Putting Equilibrium in its Place 179
8.4 Postmodernism 180
8.5 We Eat Our Young 181
8.6 But thou economic history, though thou be little among the thousands of econ 185
8.7 Preaching What I Practise 188
8.8 The Survey of Economists 196
8.9 Rules of the Game 199
8.10 What of Econ- Art? 202
Notes 203
Notes to Preface 203
Notes to Chapter One 203
Notes to Chapter Two 207
Notes to Chapter Three 211
Notes to Chapter Four 214
Notes to Chapter Five 220
Notes to Chapter Six 223
Notes to Chapter Seven 225
Notes to Chapter Eight 230
References 235
Index 249
Aaron, H., 126