Introspection, Revealed Preference and Neoclassical Economics : A Critical Response to Don Ross on the Robbins-Samuelson Argument Pattern

Don Ross' recent book Economic Theory and Cognitive Science (2005) provides an elaborate philosophical defense of neoclassical economics. He argues that the central features of neoclassical theory are associated with what he calls the Robbins-Samuelson argument pattern (RASP) and that it can be reconciled with recent developments in experimental and behavioral economics, as well as contemporary cognitive science. This paper argues that Ross' Robbins-Samuelson argument pattern is not in the work of either Robbins or Samuelson and in many ways is in conflict with their own versions, and defenses, of neoclassical theory