Philosopher of Economics talks about the philosophy of Economics.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...n-and-cant-do/

Notable points:

-Talks about what Economists can and can not do in terms of predictive power.
-Talks about what Economists do in terms of engineering solutions to political problems.
-Talks about this very debate about raising the minimum wage
One might believe, naïvely, that the economic effect would be simply to raise the wages of those who are currently earning the minimum wages. But basic economic theory maintains that to protect their profits in the face of a higher minimum wage, firms will reorganize their production so as to employ fewer unskilled workers, whose labor is now more expensive. The logic is impeccable, but the conclusion depends on many assumptions that may not be true. It may not be easy for firms to find substitutes for unskilled labor, and with higher wages, unskilled workers may be more productive. Economic theory helps to identify the relevant factors and to set the terms of intelligent debate.
-Why there may not be consensus among Economists
-Touches on how easy it is to corrupt the conversation when bringing it to the public
Reputable academic economists are united in rejecting the genuinely unfounded economic claims that politicians make. There may not be complete unanimity, because some economists are ideologues without scientific scruples. Furthermore, as the example of climate change shows, powerful interests can make an overwhelming scientific consensus appear to the public to be a matter of scientific controversy.
And more.

Solid read.