Abstracts of Hungarian Economic Literature Vol. 2 1972 No. 2 [antikvár]

3 GENERAL.ECONOMICS ; POLITICAL ECONOMY 138/72 ON THE ROLE OF THE SCIENCE OF ECONOMY. A közgazdaságtudomány szerepéről. M. Simái, Valóság, 15, 1972, No.k, p. 1-8. The tasks and functions of the science of economy are extremely complex and the sphere of the utilization of its results is almost wider and more complicated than of any other science. In socialist countries, where economic development is meant to serve the interests of the whole society the role and social function of the science of economy are more definite and homogeneous. In this article the author analyses whether we may speak about the relative backwardness of the science of economy, or about its significant upswing during the past few years. The individual subjects of this science change very quickly even within a lifetime together with the significant modifications in the conditions among which people work. There are few other fields of science which have answered to so many important questions within such a short time and the specialization of which has been so quick. Yet, no doubt, the science of economy lags behind the demands of life in many respects. The development of every branch of science and also that of economics, has its own personal, technical and social conditions that are closely related to one another. The personal conditions are embodied in the economist who is capable of scientific generalizations and analysis, from among the technical conditions and the metnods that may be employed statistical data, sociological surveys, mathematics and the use of com-