PRAXEOLOGY: WHAT IT STUDIES, PHASES AND EXAMPLE - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The praxeología is a methodological approach in studying logic of human action. Part of the idea that all actions performed by humans have a purpose and these are carried out in order to fulfill it. Unlike the natural sciences, praxeology is not based on observation, but on logical deduction.

This is so since the human changes and develops, so observation is not enough. Praxeology was born and developed within the economic sciences and is characteristic of the Austrian School. Developed by the economist Ludwig Van Mises, it had prestige among the social sciences and the philosophy of science in the mid-20th century.

Ludwig Van Mises, economist who developed praxeology

While praxeology has its solid foundation in economics - it helps explain the why of consumer decisions and the scarcity of means that lead to action - it can also explain phenomena such as war, voting, and the theory of games.

What does praxeology study?

After studying the complex human behaviors that are accompanied by economic theories, Ludwig Von Mises of the Austrian School of Economics succeeded in identifying that the study of these economic processes also explain the nature of human decision-making.

His study focuses on logical deduction and universal truths, so that the scientific methods of observation of the natural sciences are not enough to describe the human and its rationality, its volatility and its constant change of schemes day by day after interacting with the world.

Methodology

The difference between the quantitative study method - positivist approach - and praxeology - directed at the human being - is that it focuses on study objects that act and make their own decisions, since they are not governed by a simple system of cause and effect.

Humans have purposes and goals, while other quantifiable objects or bodies have no consciousness; they move or are moved, but they are not the ones who choose the path to take or have the ability to change their minds.

This difference can be explained with the example of a busy train station; those who study people by mere observation can only say that they are in a hurry and move from one train to another. On the other hand, from the praxeological point of view, it follows that people walk through the station because they seek to reach their destination.

Phases of the praxeological approach

See: collect, analyze and synthesize information, trying to understand the problem. Who? Why? Where? When? How

Judging: it is a phase in which you react and ask yourself, what can be done? Various theories are taken into account and empathy is developed.

Act: it is the act phase; What do we do exactly?

Creative feedback: it is a phase of reflection; What have we learned from what has been done? It is a phase to guide professional practice.

Differences with psychology

The "axiom" or presupposition of praxeology is that all human action has a purpose. These actions are conscious and have an objective purpose; On the other hand, unconscious actions are those that occur involuntarily, such as bodily reflexes, illnesses, and everything beyond our reach.

This differentiates psychology from praxeology, since the first focuses on studying the mental processes prior to taking action, while the second studies the action itself, without worrying about the subconscious motives that lead to action.

Preference vs. choice

Praxeology makes the difference between preferring and choosing. Preferences are those that occur when options are out of our reach, such as the weather.

One may prefer the sunny day and not the cloudy one, but the preference exists only because we do not control these weather conditions.

Instead, choosing begins with identifying what we want, determining our path to that end, and taking action to finalize the process. In the same way, since you cannot choose two options at the same time, giving up something is as much part of taking action as choosing it.

The prerequisites for action

According to praxeology, the moment prior to the action is that the individual is dissatisfied with the environment or the situation in which he finds himself, so he seeks to change this state through action and thus achieve that his conditions are favorable or better to those prior to taking action.

The three prerequisites for taking action are:

- Being in a state of dissatisfaction.

- Imagine yourself in a plane where that dissatisfaction does not exist.

- Believe that the action you take will be effective to achieve this change.

Eliminating one of these requirements would break the concept that all action has a purpose. So, no matter how big or tiny an action is, if it can be described as "purposeful", the action's prerequisites are necessary.

The human decides, determines and chooses, even on occasions when he seems to act impulsively.

Ends, means and the scale of values

When the person acts, the result he seeks to achieve is known as the "end" or "goal." To act you must first be in an environment of dissatisfaction, so the "end" is the scenario where this dissatisfaction no longer exists. The medium is what the person uses to obtain the result.

Due to the logical way it operates, praxeology identifies the scale of values ​​of a person according to their way of choosing. If someone is undecided between two options, such as going to a football game or attending a concert, the one they choose over the other will be understood as the most desired.

In areas such as the economy it is important to understand this, as it explains the consumption patterns of the population; on the surface many decisions seem irrational, when in reality it is a scale of values ​​where what is most important to the user is not always the most profitable or practical.

Example

We can illustrate this with an example: a person with an affinity for nature seeks to save and decides to lay hands on his garden instead of paying for it.

If that person had put in their effort to earn money, they could have paid someone to fix their garden and save themselves the heavy lifting. However, this person values ​​your interest in plants more than time or price.

References

1. Carreiro, O. (2012) The method of the Austrian school: praxeology. Xoán de Lugo. Recovered from xoandelugo.org
2. Kinsella, S. (2012). The Other Fields of Praxeology. Mises Institute of Economics. Recovered from mises.org
3. Potential GDP (2017) Characteristics of Praxeology. Potential GDP. Recovered from pibpotencial.com
4. Praxgirl (07/29/2011) Praxeology Episode 7: Scale of Values. Youtube. Recovered from youtube.com
5. Rothbard, M. (2012) Praxeology: the methodology of Austrian economics. Mises Institute of Economics. Recovered from mises.org
6. Vargas, J. (sf) Praxeology: an approach to thinking about the human and the social. One minute. Recovered from uniminuto.edu.co