Abstract

This paper reviews some of the key responses to Hahn's famous retiring remarks and argues that none has satisfactorily addressed Hahn's suggestion that a discipline does not need to consciously discuss its foundations as it can rely on an evolutionary process to select them. The paper presents a general counter to Hahn on this point which, when applied to contemporary economics, supplies a strong case for the study of methodology now. The particular strength of the case now turns on the current ferment at the foundations of the discipline over the rational choice model.