<p>Here are a few that come to mind.</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>Bargaining</strong>: How are bargaining outcomes determined?</li>
<li><strong>Market failure:</strong> Why do markets fail, and what are the welfare consequences of their failures? Suppose the answers include moral hazard, limited commitment, adverse selection, and externalities. Then, how can governments or private entities counteract these problems and their associated welfare losses?</li>
<li><strong>Macroforecasting</strong>: Is it possible to forecast macroeconomic and financial time series with enough accuracy to be useful for policy, corporate, or personal decision-making?</li>
<li><strong>Market structure</strong>: How is market structure determined, and how does market structure affect output and consumer welfare? </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-25T14:06:47.937Z
2018-12-25T14:06:47.937Z
MJRS
<p>It is very subjective since as you stated economics does not assess goals of immediate perception. But let's think about it, consider a great branch of macroeconomics, growth theory: deepening the knowledge of the causes of growth yields higher welfare, and with this word we consider also technological and medical growth. Not bad, I would say. Let's try with another example, models of credit scoring. Being able to correctly evaluate a potential borrower and the level of risk of a lender entails financial stability which avoids catastrophic crises, with relevant consequences on every discipline. Last example, market normative regulation. Protecting consumer from firms' abuses consents to maximize consumer's surplus. An happy consumer is an happy citizen, happy citizens ensures  social and political stability. These are few (and subjective) examples that point out an important message: economics is the base on which modern societies have built their foundations, a well oiled economic machine consent to reach those great human discoveries that you pointed out in your message. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-21T09:35:07.783Z
2018-12-21T09:35:07.783Z
Kolmogorovwannabe
<p>Are there any big, overarching research goals in economics?
Examples from other fields that come to my mind:</p>

<ul>
<li>Mathematics: Millenium problems, Hilbert's problems, Collatz conjecture, ...</li>
<li>Computer science: Proof of P =?= NP, quest for an exascale system</li>
<li>Biology / Medicine: Cure disease, cancer, stop ageing</li>
</ul>

<p>Probably, economics as a (social) science is inherently not the right field for such grandiose goals, but is there anything comparable?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-25T16:32:57.157Z
I doubt a biologist/doctor would claim to their peers that the goal of their discipline is to cure cancer or stop ageing. (Cancer is not *one* ailment, neither is ageing AFAIK.) Seems like the goals of the other two disciplines are much better defined.
Giskard
<research><philosophy-of-economics>
Big research goals in economics?
kratom_sandwich
# Big research goals in economics?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-21)

Are there any big, overarching research goals in economics?
Examples from other fields that come to my mind:

* Mathematics: Millenium problems, Hilbert's problems, Collatz conjecture, ...
* Computer science: Proof of P =?= NP, quest for an exascale system
* Biology / Medicine: Cure disease, cancer, stop ageing

Probably, economics as a (social) science is inherently not the right field for such grandiose goals, but is there anything comparable?

**Tags:** research, philosophy-of-economics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I doubt a biologist/doctor would claim to their peers that the goal of their discipline is to cure cancer or stop ageing. (Cancer is not *one* ailment, neither is ageing AFAIK.) Seems like the goals of the other two disciplines are much better defined.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-12-25. Score: 1

Here are a few that come to mind.

* **Bargaining**: How are bargaining outcomes determined?
* **Market failure:** Why do markets fail, and what are the welfare consequences of their failures? Suppose the answers include moral hazard, limited commitment, adverse selection, and externalities. Then, how can governments or private entities counteract these problems and their associated welfare losses?
* **Macroforecasting**: Is it possible to forecast macroeconomic and financial time series with enough accuracy to be useful for policy, corporate, or personal decision-making?
* **Market structure**: How is market structure determined, and how does market structure affect output and consumer welfare?


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-12-21. Score: 0

It is very subjective since as you stated economics does not assess goals of immediate perception. But let's think about it, consider a great branch of macroeconomics, growth theory: deepening the knowledge of the causes of growth yields higher welfare, and with this word we consider also technological and medical growth. Not bad, I would say. Let's try with another example, models of credit scoring. Being able to correctly evaluate a potential borrower and the level of risk of a lender entails financial stability which avoids catastrophic crises, with relevant consequences on every discipline. Last example, market normative regulation. Protecting consumer from firms' abuses consents to maximize consumer's surplus. An happy consumer is an happy citizen, happy citizens ensures social and political stability. These are few (and subjective) examples that point out an important message: economics is the base on which modern societies have built their foundations, a well oiled economic machine consent to reach those great human discoveries that you pointed out in your message.


---

