EconomicsNEB 2075 (old course)

Write any four criticism of Marshalls definition of economics.

2

Answer

Alfred Marshall’s definition of economics as "the study of mankind in the ordinary business of life" has faced several criticisms:

  1. Psychological Aspect: Marshall’s definition includes psychology, but economics primarily deals with objective and measurable economic activities, not subjective human behavior.

  2. Narrow Scope: It limits economics to ordinary business activities, excluding important areas like production, distribution, and government policies.

  3. Lack of Clarity: The term "ordinary business of life" is vague and fails to clearly distinguish economics from other social sciences.

  4. Ignores Economic Problems: It does not explicitly address key economic issues such as scarcity, allocation of resources, or economic welfare, which are central to modern economics.

These criticisms highlight the need for a more precise and comprehensive definition of economics.

Discussion

Loading…

More Economics questions

All Economics old questions