tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post5119988959760869788..comments2024-03-18T06:41:03.841-04:00Comments on Facts & other stubborn things: Assault of Thoughts - 10/15/2011Evanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12259004160963531720noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-75096964809567219882011-10-15T20:01:46.090-04:002011-10-15T20:01:46.090-04:00The problem with Kuhn is this: there is a lot of b...The problem with Kuhn is this: there is a lot of baggage with his most famous work that just isn't in there (something which he fought a rearguard action against the last decade or so of his life). So when I see a few paragraph blog post that mentions Kuhn I just ignore it. I realize that as a rule of thumb it has its faults, but it works well enough for me. <br /><br />There is something be said about the value of quiting.Gary Gunnelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14463810435943252898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-41699315898651890202011-10-15T16:27:34.792-04:002011-10-15T16:27:34.792-04:00Re: "epicycles are messy"
I don't s...Re: "epicycles are messy"<br /><br />I don't see how anyone having read Kuhn's book can say this. Clearly, the equants were where things got messy.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943136764424893492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-76188597631428321132011-10-15T10:40:08.027-04:002011-10-15T10:40:08.027-04:00Well said. I'm not quite sure if epistemology ...Well said. I'm not quite sure if epistemology is the solution, but aside from that last paragraph I'm in full agreement.Daniel Kuehnhttp://www.factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1740670447258719504.post-6063203929484180712011-10-15T10:28:32.441-04:002011-10-15T10:28:32.441-04:00As Gene Callahan once noted, it's like saying ...<i>As Gene Callahan once noted, it's like saying that because death from pneumonia occurs when people fail to respond to antibiotics, the key to not dying from pneumonia is to stop taking antibiotics (instead of... maybe... more aggressive treatment).</i><br /><br />The facts can be interpreted any number of ways, They never "speak for themselves." What people should be arguing over is theory, not empirical correlations.<br /><br />The stimulus didn't revive the economy. Is that because the stimulus was counter-productive, or because the economy was worse than we thought? Both sides are argued as nauseum as if appealing to graphs or figures is going to determine anything.<br /><br />The solution has to come from arguments over theory. Why <b>should</b> the stimulus have worked? Why should it have not worked? What's the logic behind fiscal and monetary action, and how can we incorporate that into our schools of thought?<br /><br />It comes down to arguing over ceteris paribus conditions. Aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus should, ceteris paribus, revive aggregate demand and enable full employment some say. Others argue the opposite ceteris paribus.<br /><br />We as economists need to start looking at methodology and epistemology a lot more than we have been. The ceteris paribus conditions are crucial.Mattheus von Guttenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09404889240800715511noreply@blogger.com