From: kim_sh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Sung Hyun Kim)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean
Subject: Re: Open letter to GMT
Date: 20 Aug 92 19:30:19 GMT
Distribution: soc.culture.korean
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

To: dww@eniac.seas.upenn.edu
Subject: Scientific Method (was  Re: Open letter to GMT)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Cc: 
Bcc: 

In article <86570@netnews.upenn.edu> you write:
>This is in response to Mr.S.H.KIm's posing:
>
>>Human beings and/or society is not that easy to subject to scientific method
>
>Right. But scientific methods are applied nevertheless to society and with
>success; that is why we have social sciences like economics and psycology,
>right?
>
I'm pretty sorry that I should bring up some sort of specialized argument.
First let me clarify this, Denny, I don't have any bad things against you.
That is, I sort of accept your argumet/apologies so far based on your logic.
Only reason I'm triggered to comment on this is that methodology has some
defects.
But what is this "scientic method" at all? If you mean, as you said, making
hypothesis and then checking whether it's right or not *by* experimenting
and measuring..I think something's wrong.

>The economists predicts that when prices fall, people tend to buy more.
>Although a few qeer individuals will rather buy less (due to whatever reasons
>like status problems etc), on the whole, more people will buy more when
>the prices fall.
This example is a little bit off from our discussion. The above theory was
not derived by *scientific method*. It's a logical statement derived by
axiomatic mathematical approach. And if you read any microeconomics textbooks,
you can find to your surprise that there can be some instances where exactly
opposite thing happens.
The methodology you're talking about is used usually in Macroeconomics and
it's not doing that well right now. (Not surprisingly I am a microeconomist).

Anyway I always wonder why they call "economics" or "psychology" a social
science. I guess sociology or political science deserves the name..

>
>I really think I can apply scientific tools to society.
>
This is not that scientific statement, is it? :-)

>My impression about Mr.Kim is that he is not a very scientific person
>and is deeply entrenched in his own thoughts.
>
You are not talking about me, do you? :-)

>Denny,.
>

Having said that I don't like scientific method and don't think economics is
social science, I should change my last statement..
As a frustrated economist...

-- 
 Sung Hyun Kim                                                         
         kim_sh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu  // kim_sh@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu 
Dept. of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218               
..... graduate of Korea Institute of Technology.........                                 
-- 
 Sung Hyun Kim                                                         
         kim_sh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu  // kim_sh@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu 
Dept. of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218               
..... graduate of Korea Institute of Technology.........                                 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean