DEBATE “PRO ET CONTRA” AS AN EDUCATIONAL METHOD IN ECONOMICS

Aleksandar Kešeljevic
Prof. dr., University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Slovenia, saso.keseljevic@ef.uni-lj.si


Abstract

The author argues in his study that classroom debate as an educational method is a highly efficient method for promoting more pluralism and holism in education of today’s economists in order to better resolve today’s emerging and persisting problems. Neoclassical school has consolidated its monopoly position within economics and in the broad framework of social sciences mainly through the education process by dictating strict methodological rules. Consequently, the economic theory lost the capacity of an anthropocentric view of the world due to the conflict between the domination of the neoclassical paradigm and the lack of pluralism within economics and beyond it. Debate is one of the main educational method for introducing more pluralism and holism into economics in order to foster understanding of today’s problems and to contribute meaningfully to their solutions. Debate “pro et contra” is an equitably structured rhetorical event in the class about some topic of interest, with opposing advocates alternating before a decision-making body. Different (economic) schools of thought are presented in debates in order for the students to be able to appreciate the variety of presented perspectives. At the same time debate also increases students' capacity for critical, controversial and original thinking.

Keywords: neoclassical paradigm, pluralism, holism, debate pro et contra



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CITATION: Abstracts & Proceedings of ADVED 2018 - 4th International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences, 15-17 October 2018- Istanbul, Turkey

ISBN: 978-605-82433-4-7