Re: The country has turned the corner - liberalism is dead. Over half now say Obama lied....

DGDevin <dgdevin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
RichL wrote:

I don't buy the "natural principles" and "natural forces" bit.
Nature runs via the laws of physics, not economics, which are a
totally man-made invention. In that context, economics is more akin
to religious principles than scientific ones.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to compare it to psychology or
sociology which while highly subject to non-scientific agendas are
still capable of producing models which can predict human behavior
with considerable accuracy. Religions rely on received truth,
economics at least tries to use observation and analysis to reach its
conclusions.

I couldn't agree more. The "religious" nature pertains to the old-style
"natural principle" stuff that Spender was spouting. Psychology and
sociology are good analogies to economics for the most part but it's
awfully difficult to run controlled experiments in the latter. The
mathematical aspects are as rigorous in economics as they are in the
"hard" sciences, don't get me wrong. But the free market is a man-made
concept, there's nothing "natural" about it whatsoever.


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