Entrevista com Amartya Sen

Podem parecer obviedades, mas as ponderações de Amartya Sen são sempre relevantes para por os "pingos nos is" de certas discussões acadêmicas:


Do you think the focus on mathematics in current economics is the flip side of the neglect of the history of economic thought? 

I don’t think that there is any conflict between mathematical reasoning and being interested in the history of thought. Many of our early thinkers were quite mathematical. The connection between mathematics and economics is very strong, and there is no reason to be ashamed of it. What is to be avoided is to be concentrated only on mathematical economics. We must not neglect the insights that come from parts of the subject where mathematics is not sensible to use and different kinds of reasoning are useful. I don’t think the conflict is between mathematics and other kinds of methods. The conflict is between taking an integrated, broad, comprehensive view as opposed to a narrow view whether it is mathematical or anti-mathematical.