From: roussea@server.uwindsor.ca (ROUSSEAU PAUL            )
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,talk.politics.theory,talk.philosophy.misc,sci.philosophy.tech,sci.econ,sci.philosophy.meta
Subject: Re: What is economics? (repost)
Date: 27 Jan 1993 02:41:17 GMT
Followup-To: talk.politics.misc
Organization: University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada

In article <1993Jan21.081622.7074@oracle.us.oracle.com> kwee@oracle.uucp (Karl Wee) writes:
>In article <93Jan20.200943edt.227@neuron.ai.toronto.edu> radford@cs.toronto.edu (Radford Neal) writes:
>>
B
>
>>The fact that few economists denounce such arguments as the
>>pseudo-scientific bullshit that they are is indeed an indictment of
>>the profession.  It appears to be a simple case of intellectual
>>dishonesty.
>
>I think the real reason why the social "sciences" stagnate is political:
>older "scientists" used to doing things the same way tend to recruit
>grad students with the same interests and train them to be good only at
>those things, so that, they too will have a vested interest in keeping
>things the same.  (Imagine the loss of professional standing if your skills
>are suddenly obsolete.)
>
>THIS is why this whole business is so insideous.  If academians, who are
>supposed to be the teacher of society, the seeker of truth, etc. become
so entrenched in self service (even if unconsciously), then what do we
>have to look to for direction?  The social "scientists" have become a clique
>who hide behind esoteric models and technical jargons AND a conspiracy of
>silence (about their basic direction) to protect each other's jobs.
>
>- Karl Wee

Whether this is true or not, the question becomes "so what?  and
"What can we, the people who are directly affected by the conclusions
made by these economists?

A small group of us have been getting together over the past year and
a half to read classic economic literature.  We are currently reading
Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations."  There are no formally trained
economist in this group, just ordinary citizens trying to make a living
and trying to make sense out of the seeming confusion created by 
our elected officials an their "consultants."  

Our group got together under the initiative of UTNE Reader, a magazine
that had in interest in starting and supporting salons and discussion
groups.  After nearly two years, thousands of these salons meet regularly
all over North America.  

Reading and re-reading Smith has been very helpful in pointing to some
useful solutions to our economic problems.  By carefully discussing
his work, we are better prepared to talk intelligently about these
very important matters.

I've spoken to many so called economist who have never read classic
economic works.  Those who have dismiss it as old and useless.  However
Smith and other scholars like Marx, Hume and Locke have a lot to say
about today's economic problems.

True education and learning is a lifetime endeavour and groups like
ours can support ordinary people both becoming more knowledgable
and to be encouraged to become part of the political decision
making process.

Knowledge is available to anyone who works for it.  If we the people
decide to abdicate our responsibility for decision making and leave
it up to the academics and politicians to make those decisions for
us then we will get what we deserve.

Academics could do a great service by organizing and supporting citizen
based efforts to learn about economics and the  role it plays in society.
Economics has the potential of becoming a real science with many
people collecting evidence to support hypotheses.  Ordinary people
can do reasearch and should be encouraged to do so. 

So, I agree with Karl Wee analysis.  We, the people, must do something
about it.

-- 
Paul Rousseau			INTERNET    roussea@server.uwindsor.ca
St. Clair Beach			 "It's too bad ignorance isn't   
Ontario, Canada		                     painful."
							-anonymous
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,misc.legal