THE REASONING OF A GREAT METHODOLOGIST - BLAUG,MARK ON THE NATURE OF PARETIAN WELFARE ECONOMICS

In various publications Blaug has upheld the view that Paretian welfare economics is normative, sharply criticising the opposite 'Archibald-Hennipman argument.' He has failed to refute this and to defend his position, with the allegation that positive welfare economics cannot exist, convincingly. His reasoning is marred by misunderstandings, inconsistencies, circularities and traces of essentialism. The normative conception is an ambiguous hybrid that cannot fulfil the pretension to offer definite prescriptions. It is advisable to regard allocation theory as belonging to positive economics; its normative application must drop its claim to represent welfare economics as whole.