Praxeology and Method
Praxeology is the study of those aspects of human action that can be grasped a priori; in other words, it is concerned with the conceptual analysis and logical implications of preference, choice, means-end schemes, and so forth.
The basic principles of praxeology were first discovered by the Greek philosophers, who used them as a foundation for a eudaimonistic ethics. This approach was further developed by the Scholastics, who extended praxeological analysis to the foundations of economics and social science as well.
In the late nineteenth century, the praxeological approach to economics and social science was rediscovered by Carl Menger, founder of the Austrian School. The term praxeology was first applied to this approach by the later Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises. Along with his students (including Friedrich Hayek and Murray Rothbard), Mises employed praxeological principles to show that much existing economic and social theory was conceptually incoherent.
Independently of Mises, analytic philosophers in the ordinary language tradition – like Ludwig Wittgenstein, J. L. Austin, and Elizabeth Anscombe – were also making contributions to praxeological theory, though they did not use that term.
~ Roderick Long
Primary Sources
Epistemological Problems of Economics By Ludwig von Mises
Human Action by Ludwig von Mises *Pages 1-140, 347-354*
Man, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard *Chapter One*
The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science: An Essay on Method by Ludwig von Mises
Theory and History: An Interpretation of Social and Economic Evolution by Ludwig on Mises
Economic Science and the Austrian Method by Hans-Herman Hoppe
Individualism and Economic Order by F.A Hayek *Pages 57-76*
The Counter Revolution of Science by Friedrich Hayek
Economic Controversies By Murray N. Rothbard *Chapters 1-5*
Praxeology and Understanding by George Selgin
Origins of Praxeology and Austrian Method
Hipparchus by Plato *excerpts*
Protagoras by Plato
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle *Book One and Book Ten*
Summa Theologica by Saint Thomas Aquinas
Principles of Economics by Carl Menger
Aristotelian Themes in Menger by Barry Smith
Intellectual and Political Roots of the Older Austrian School by Emil Kauder
The Philosophical Origins of Austrian Economics by David Gordon
The Methodological Debate Between Carl Menger and the German Historicists by Samuel Bostaph
Investigations into the Method of the Social Sciences by Carl Menger
The Errors of Historicism in German Economics by Carl Menger
The Historical vs. the Deductive Method in Political Economy by Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk
Theory of Money and Credit by Ludwig von Mises *Pages 38-49/187-194*
Money, Method, and the Market Process Essays by Ludwig von Mises *Pages 3-51*
Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science by Lionel Robbins
The Economics and Ethics of Private Property Studies in Political Economy and Philosophy by Hans-Hermann Hoppe *Pages 265-304/347-379*
Praxeology and its Critics by Bruce Caldwell
Was Mises Right? by Peter T. Leeson and Peter J. Boettke
Subjective Theory of Value
Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory by James Buchanan
L.S.E. Essays on Cost by James M. Buchanan
The Ultimate Standard of Value by Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk
Value, Cost, and Marginal Utility by Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk
The Labour Theory of Value: A Critiques of Carsons Studies in Mutualist Political Economy by Robert Murphy
Nozick vs Block
On Austrian Methodology by Robert Nozick
On Robert Nozick’s ‘On Austrian Methodology’ by Walter Block
Robert Nozick on Austrian Economics by David Gordon
Hermeneutics Debates
The Interpretive Dimension of Economics: Science, Hermeneutics, and Praxeology by Don Lavioe
Hermeneutics Versus Austrian Economics by David Gordon
The Hermeneutical Invasion of Philosophy and Economics by Murray Rothbard
In Defense of Extreme Rationalism: Thoughts on Donald McClosky's The Rhetoric of Economics by Hans Herman Hoppe
Hermeneutics and Economics A Criticism of Hermeneutical Thinking in the Social Sciences by Hans Albert
Hermeneutic Economics: Between Relativism and Progressive Polylogism by Pierre Perrin
Hermeneutics and Phenomenology in the Social Sciences: Lessons from the Austrian School of Economics Case by Nicholas Cachanosky, Gabriel Zanotti and Agustina Borella
Far from a Nihilistic Crowd: The Theoretical Contribution of Radical Subjectivist Austrian Economics by Paul Lewis
Another Defense of Methodological Apriorism by Joseph Salerno and Robert Greenfield
Paternalism
Some Problems of Behavioral Economics by Arkadiusz Sieroń
De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum by George J. Stigler and Gary S. Becker
A Problem with Paternalism by David Gordon
Why Paternalists Keep Calling us Irrational by David Gordon
The Lucas Critique and Austrian Economics
Econometric Policy Evaluation: A Critique by Robert Lucas
Modern Monetary Policy Evaluation and the Lucas Critique by Karl-Friedrich Israel
An Austrian Version of the Lucas Critique by Tobias Basse
Analytic/Synthetic Distinction and Formulations of Praxeology
In Defense of Pure Reason: A Rationalist Account of A Priori Justification by Lawrence Bonjour
Compassionate Phenomenal Conservatism by Michael Huemer
Phenomenal Conservatism and the Internalist Intuition by Michael Huemer
There Is No Pure Empirical Reasoning by Michael Huemer
The Compatibility of Hoppe's and Rothbard's Views of the Action Axiom by Gennady Stolyarov II
Praxeological Investigations by Roderick Long
Aristotle's Rationalism by Michael Frede
Aristotle's Rationalism: A Reply to Barnes by Yassaman Hoshyar
De-Kanting Mises and Hoppe, Notes Towards an Austrian School Metaphysics by Steven Yates
Apriorism, Introspection, and the Axiom of Action: A Realist Solution by François Facchini
On Praxeology and the Question of Aristotelian Apriorism By Geoffrey Allan Plauché
Austrian Economics: Historical and Philosophical Background by Wolfgang Grassl and Barry Smith
Aristotle, Menger, Mises: An Essay in the Metaphysics of Economics by Barry Smith
On the Austrianness of Austrian Economics by Barry Smith
The Question of Apriorism by Barry Smith
Barry Smith, Aristotelianism, apriorism, Essentialism by Peter Boettke
In Defense of Extreme (Fallibilistic) Apriorism by Barry Smith
The Philosophy of Austrian Economics by Barry Smith
Uneasiness and Scarcity: An Analytic ApproachTowards Ludwig von Mises’s Praxeology by Michael Oliva Cordoba
Austrian Economics Without Extreme Apriorism: Construing the Fundamental Axiom of Praxeology as Analytic by Alexander Linsbichler
Alternative Formulations of Praxeology
Mises and Lakatos: A Reformulation of Austrian Methodology by Mario Rizzo
On the Philosophy and Logic of Human Action: A Neo-Austrian Contribution to the Methodology of the Social Sciences by Michael Oliva Córdoba
Chamlee-Wright and Burawoy: Another Reformulation of Austrian Methodology by Joshua T. McCabe
Machlup and Praxeology
The Problem of Verification in Economics by Fritz Machlup
The Epistemological Implications of Machlup's Interpretation of Mises's Epistemology by Gabriel J. Zanotti and Nicolas Cachanosky
Mises and Diminished Apriori by David Gordon
Kotarbinsky and Praxiology
Kotarbiński’s Praxiology and Analytic Philosophy of Action by Marta Zaręba
The Virtues and Vices of Kotarbiński’s Praxiology by Piotr Tomasz Makowski
Epistemology of Economics by Paul T. Sagal
Kotarbinski's Praxeology - Henry Hiz
Neo-Kantianism and Praxeology
A Neo-Kantian Critique of Von Mises's Epistemology by Pierluigi Barrotta
Mises, the A Priori, and the Foundations of Economics: A Qualified Defence by Stephen Parsons
On the Philosophy and Logic of Human Action: A Neo-Austrian Contribution to the Methodology of the Social Sciences by Michael Oliva Córdoba
Austrian vs Neoclassical Methodology
The Limitations of the Scientific Method in Economics by Frank Knight
Toward a Reconstruction of Utility and Welfare Economics by Murray Rothbard
In Defense of "Extreme Apriorism" by Murray Rothbard
Statistics: Achilles' Heel of Government by Murray Rothbard
New Directions in Austrian Economics edited by Louis M. Spadaro *Pages 40-56*
Pareto Optimality in Policy Espousal by Leland B. Yeager
Rational Economic Man: A Philosophical Critique of Neo-Classical Economics by Martin Hollis and Edward Neil
On Certainty and Uncertainty, Or: How Rational Can Our Expectations Be? by Hans Hermann-Hoppe
The Pareto Rule and Welfare Economics by Jeffrey M. Herbener
Giffen's Paradox and the Law of Demand by Peter G. Klein & Joseph T. Salerno *Video*
The Austrian Search for Realistic Foundations by Bryan Caplan
Why I'm not an Austrian Economist by Bryan Caplan
Austrian Theorizing: Recalling the Foundations by Walter Block
Economic Science and Neoclassicism by Jorg Guido Hulsmann
Probability, Common Sense, and Realism: A Reply to Hülsmann and Block by Bryan Caplan
Realism: Austrian vs. Neoclassical Economics, Reply to Caplan by Walter Block
Probability and the Synthetic A Priori: A Reply to Block by Bryan Caplan
Rejoinder to Caplan on Bayesian Economics by Walter Block
Logical Economics vs. Mathematical Economics by Gene Callahan
Kaldor-Hicks Efficiency and the Problem of Central Planning by Edward Stringham
Choice and Preference by Gene Callahan
Facts and Counterfactuals in Economic Law by Jörg Guido Hülsmann
The Modern Theory of Consumer Behavior: Ordinal or Cardinal? by William Barnett
Realism and Abstraction in Economics: Aristotle and Mises versus Friedman by Roderick Long
Mises's Apriorism Against Relativism in Economics by Thorsten Polleit
The Mundane Economics of the Austrian School by Peter Klein
A Note on Giffen Goods by Peter G. Klein
Scale of Values Violates Singularism by Walter Block
Mathematics in Economics: An Austrian Methodological Critique by Robert Murphy and Walter Block
The Anti-Mathematically of Demand Curves by Walter Block and William Barnett
Reply to Caplan on Austrian Economic Methodology by Walter Block
Rothbardian Demand: A Critique by Marek Hudik
Thymology, Praxeology, Demand Curves, Giffen Goods and Diminishing Marginal Utility by Walter Block
Bryan Caplan, All in One Place Posted by Smiling Dave
In Counterfactuals, We're All Dead by Mateusz Machaj
Economics Needs A Divorce by Mencius Moldbug
Transitivity and the Money Pump by Walter Block and William Barnett
Transitivity: A Comment on Block and Barnett by Marek Hudwik
What is Extreme About Mises’ Extreme Apriorism? by Scott Schaell
Caplan on Probability, A Critique by Walter Block and Igor Wysocki
The Giffen Goods Phenomenon in the Austrian School Perspective by Er'el Granot
The Giffen Good — A Praxeological Approach by Walter Block and Igor Wysocki
The Z Curve: Supply and Demand for Giffen Goods by Gabriel Philbois and Walter Block
A Defense of Rothbard on the Demand Curve Against Hudik’s Critique by Walter Block
Homogeneity, Heterogeneity, the Supply Curve, and Consumer Theory by Igor Wysocki and Walter E. Block
The " Income Effect " in Causal-Realist Price Theory by Joseph Salerno
The Income Effect Reconsidered by Karl Israel
The Giffen Paradox Revisited by Hai-Trieu v. Nguyen
The Wealth Effect and the Law of Demand: A Comment on Karl-Friedrich Israel by Joseph Salerno
Income and Substitution Effects: A Rejoinder to Professor Joseph Salerno by Karl-Friedrich Israel
Demonstrated Preferences as the Middle Ground Between Revealed Preferences and Modern Behaviorism by Hai-Trieu Nguyen
Probability Theory and Economics
Quantitative Methods in Economics Can Describe—but Not Explain—Events by Frank Shostak
The Correct Theory of Probability by Murray Rothbard
Why the Definition of Probability Matters by Mark R. Crovelli
The Enduring Allure of Objective Probability by Robert F. Mulligan
Probability and Insurance by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
The Limits of Numerical Probability: Frank H. Knight and Ludwig von Mises and the Frequency of Interpretation by Hans-Herman Hoppe
John Maynard Keynes and Ludwig von Mises on Probability by Ludwig Van den Hauwe
On the Possibility of Assigning Probabilities to Singular Cases, or: Probability Is Subjective Too! by Mark R. Crovelli
Single Trial Probability Applications: Can Subjectivity Evade Frequency Limitations? by David Howden
Has David Howden Vindicated Richard von Mises’s Definition of Probability? by Mark Crovelli
Can Probability Theory Deal with Entrepreneurship? by Vlad Tarko
No Interpretation of Probability by Wolfgang Schwarz
The Interpretation of Uncertainty in Ecological Rationality by Anastasia Kozyreva and Ralph Hertwig
Praxeology and Indifference
A Note on Preference and Indifference in Economic Analysis by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Rejoinder to Hoppe on Indifference by Walter Block
Further Notes on Preference and Indifference: Rejoinder to Block by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
A Note on Block-Hoppe Debate on Indifference by Igor Wysocki
A Praxeological Case for Homogeneity and Indifference by Mateusz Machaj
Rejoinder to Machaj on Indifference by Walter Block
Choice and Indifference: A Critique of the Strict Preference Approach by Ben O'Neill
Response to O'Neill on Indifference by Walter Block
Indifference: In Defence of Orthodoxy by Igor Wysocki
Miscellaneous
The Universal Categories of Praxeology in Light of Natural Semantic Metalanguage Theory by Paweł Dziedziul
Wittgenstein’s Philosophy and Austrian Economics by Richard McDonough
Weber's Sociological Elements in Mises' Economics of Human Action by Milan Zafirovski
Bayesianism and Austrian Apriorism by Frank Van Dun
Praxeology as Law and Economics by Josef Sima
Praxeology, Economics, and Law: Issues and Implications by Larry Seachrest
Austrian Economics and the Problems of Apriorism by Jan Pavlik
The Pretense of Knowledge by Friedrich A. Hayek
Economic Science vs. Mathematical Economics by Juan C. Cachanosky