The Quantitative Turn in the History of Economics: Promises, Perils and Challenges
Forthcoming in Journal of Economic Methodology (December 2018)
17 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2018
Date Written: July 19, 2018
Abstract
A quantitative turn in history of economic thought is looming. We argue that engineering it consicously is of crucial importance for historians of economics. We also highlight the limitations of quantitative techniques.Yet, the combination of qualitative and quantitative research could substantially enrich our narratives of the development of economics and its practice, of how ideas and tools disseminate and influence other spheres. A failed quantitative turn could lead our field to a house divided and, in the worst case, a civil war.
Keywords: quantitative history, epistemology, historiography, prosopography, network analysis
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