Economics and Philosophy

This is the first time that I have ever written a paper on an ancient philosopher. At first it was kind of an intimidating experience. It seemed like everyone else in the class had an idea for their papers very early. I suspect that experiences in great texts courses would be very helpful along those lines. That being said, I am really happy with the topic I have selected. I don’t have very much to say about Aristotle when he is considered on his own that someone else hasn’t already said. However, I do have a background in economics that most people who study Aristotle don’t have. My paper applies Economics to Aristotle, and I have come to be fairly proud of that structure of analysis. What I really appreciate about these two specific fields is that they synergize so effectively. When I say that most everyone pauses…they see economics and philosophy as completely unrelated. However, economics gives me a framework for analyzing cause and effect in decision-making. I can see how to make decisions to reach different outcomes. It does not give me a good framework for determining which of those outcomes is best. That is where philosophy comes into play. Philosophy gives me a way to look at possible outcomes and determine which one is best, but doesn’t help me know (in most cases) how to get to that outcome. In this way, I think that the two fields work very well together.