哈佛學生致經濟學教授曼昆的公開信

哈佛學生致經濟學教授曼昆的公開信

今天，我們離開經濟學十講（Economics 10，曼昆）的課堂，為了表達我們對於這門導引性的經濟學課程中之根深蒂固的偏見的不滿。我們深切地擔憂這些偏見將影響到我們的同學，我們的大學，以及我們所身處的整個社會。

作為哈佛的本科生，選修這門課程，是希望能獲得有關經濟學理論的基礎知識，幫助我們進一步在經濟學、政治學、環境科學、公共政策等諸多學科和知識領域中作出深入思考。然而，我們發現這門課程，對於我們認為已經問題重重且對不平等束手無策的經濟，持一種特殊而且有限的看法。

真正合理的經濟學研究，必須同時包含對各種經濟學簡化模型之優點與缺點的批判性探討。由於在您的課程中不涉及第一手資料，學術期刊中的關鍵文獻也並不充分，因此我們幾乎無法接觸其他可供選擇的路徑來研究經濟學。認為亞當•斯密的經濟學原理就比其他任何理論，例如凱恩斯的理論更重要、更基本，這是毫無道理的。

對一門聲稱要為將來進一步研究經濟學打下基礎的課程來說，採取一種無偏見的觀察經濟學的視角，對於這個課堂上的700名同學來說尤為重要。許多哈佛學生沒有能力選擇經濟學十講之外的課程，因為此課程除對於經濟學、環境科學以及公共政策學學生來說是必修的。當社會學專業必須選擇一門經濟學導論課程時，唯一的另一門可供選擇的課程——Steven Margolin教授的經濟學批判卻每隔一年才開設一次（今年就沒開課）。許多其他專業的學生只是希望在高品質的通識教育中獲得對經濟學的簡單理解。更為嚴重的是，經濟學導論使得後續的經濟學課程難以有效地展開，因為它僅僅提供了嚴重偏激的觀點，而不是為其他課程的拓寬提供堅實的基礎。不可能寄希望于學生們以躲開這門課，或者阻止整個經濟學學科來表達他們的不滿。

哈佛畢業生在全球金融機構和公共政策領域都扮演著極為重要的角色。如果哈佛不能使學生們具備關於經濟學之更廣博與更具批判性的思考，他們的行為將會危及全球金融體系。近五年來的經濟動亂已經充分證明了這一點。

今天，我們將加入波士頓的遊行隊伍，抗議高等教育的公司化，聲援全球的"佔領運動"。由於經濟學十講中不公正的本質不僅不僅是美國經濟不平等的象徵，甚至應當為這一嚴重社會後果負責。我們今天走出課堂，不僅是反對您對於有偏見的經濟學理論的討論不夠充分，而且我們還將投身整個運動，去改變美國關於經濟學的所有不公正話語。曼昆教授，我們希望您會認真對待我們的想法和今天的罷課行為。 

（譯者佚名）

Dear Professor Mankiw-

Today, we are walking out of your class, Economics 10, in order to express our discontent with the bias inherent in this introductory economics course. We are deeply concerned about the way that this bias affects students, the University, and our greater society.

As Harvard undergraduates, we enrolled in Economics 10 hoping to gain a broad and introductory foundation of economic theory that would assist us in our various intellectual pursuits and diverse disciplines, which range from Economics, to Government, to Environmental Sciences and Public Policy, and beyond. Instead, we found a course that espouses a specific-and limited-view of economics that we believe perpetuates problematic and inefficient systems of economic inequality in our society today.

A legitimate academic study of economics must include a critical discussion of both the benefits and flaws of different economic simplifying models. As your class does not include primary sources and rarely features articles from academic journals, we have very little access to alternative approaches to economics. There is no justification for presenting Adam Smith's economic theories as more fundamental or basic than, for example, Keynesian theory.

Care in presenting an unbiased perspective on economics is particularly important for an introductory course of 700 students that nominally provides a sound foundation for further study in economics. Many Harvard students do not have the ability to opt out of Economics 10. This class is required for Economics and Environmental Science and Public Policy concentrators, while Social Studies concentrators must take an introductory economics course-and the only other eligible class, Professor Steven Margolin's class Critical Perspectives on Economics, is only offered every other year (and not this year). Many other students simply desire an analytic understanding of economics as part of a quality liberal arts education. Furthermore, Economics 10 makes it difficult for subsequent economics courses to teach effectively as it offers only one heavily skewed perspective rather than a solid grounding on which other courses can expand. Students should not be expected to avoid this class-or the whole discipline of economics-as a method of expressing discontent.

Harvard graduates play major roles in the financial institutions and in shaping public policy around the world. If Harvard fails to equip its students with a broad and critical understanding of economics, their actions are likely to harm the global financial system. The last five years of economic turmoil have been proof enough of this.

We are walking out today to join a Boston-wide march protesting the corporatization of higher education as part of the global Occupy movement. Since the biased nature of Economics 10 contributes to and symbolizes the increasing economic inequality in America, we are walking out of your class today both to protest your inadequate discussion of basic economic theory and to lend our support to a movement that is changing American discourse on economic injustice. Professor Mankiw, we ask that you take our concerns and our walk-out seriously.

Sincerely,

Concerned students of Economics 10 

參考閱讀

經濟學助長社會不公 哈佛罷課
http://www.peopo.org/rousseau/post/93456

經濟學家為什麼沒能預測到金融危機？
http://www.peopo.org/rousseau/post/93358 

What Caused the Financial Crisis? Don't Ask An Economist
http://www.peopo.org/rousseau/post/90012 

Wanted: Worldly Philosophers
http://www.peopo.org/rousseau/post/93566 

Who Rules the Global Economy?
http://www.peopo.org/rousseau/post/93588