The Boundaries of Technique was written by Andrew Yuengert. He is a Professor at Pepperdine University and the current president of the Association of Christian Economists.
This book can be summarized as an effort to promote the "moral philosophy of the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas view as a firmer foundation for the positive-normative distinction" and is known as "Thomistic Ethics." It is an attempt to answer this question: "In what sense are these values self-contained, insulated from values 'outside' of the field?"
I have to admit when I first started reading this book, I was thoroughly bored. By the end of chapter 1, I was intrigued. I had finally started to see the concept of where he was going. I had the same reaction when I was reading Adam Smith’s, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Read that book if you have not. It is well worth the time for every budding economist.
The basic conclusion I drew from this book was that economists cannot completely separate ethics/morality from their work. Although their technique tends to be purely scientific there has to be a moral basis underlying it. I’ll explain it this way: there is an objective to be accomplished in any economic pursuit. This goal was started for a reason by someone, the state or the country. It is implemented for the benefit of society or the benefit of a few depending on whose goal it is. Why this goal was implemented is morally based whereas the implementation itself is the technique of the economist.
An interesting analogy was brought forth in the foreword of this book by William Campbell. It talks about the wall of separation in economics between facts and values. Those economist are trying relegate values to a “purely private understanding of the individual and the good society.” He explains how this is similar to how the ACLU and secularist are doing the same thing with the wall of separation between the Church and the State. I would never have come up with that analogy, but it is appropriate after reading this book.
I would not recommend this book for all readers. It is specialized. I would recommend it for anyone interested in economics or students who will be studying economics.
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