Abstract
The Teagle discussion analyzes why economics teachers have become overly narrow in their pedagogical perspectives, thus pulling back from fully supporting the liberal arts agenda. In Chapter 1, Colander and McGoldrick (p. 6) observe that the generalist approach that excites students by asking "big think" questions across disciplinary boundaries fails to generate new knowledge, while the narrow "little think" questions that can be answered often fail to develop the critical thinking skills necessary for liberal education. As one example, the authors cite the decline of moral reasoning in economics, which was once center stage in Adam Smith's analysis of society. Since the rise of positivism in the late nineteenth century, moral reasoning has become an intellectual casualty.
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2009
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2009, Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. This chapter first appeared in Educating Economists: The Teagle Discussion on Re-evaluating the Undergraduate Economics Major.
Please note that downloads of the book chapter are for private/personal use only.
Purchase online at Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.
Recommended Citation
Wight, Jonathan. "Moral Reasoning in Economics." In Educating Economists: The Teagle Discussion on Re-evaluating the Undergraduate Economics Major, edited by David C. Colander and KimMarie McGoldrick, 53-58. Cheltenham, Glos, UK: Edward Elgar, 2009.