From: kim_sh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Sung Hyun Kim)
Subject: Re: Open letter to GMT
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Distribution: soc.culture.korean
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 18:50:01 GMT

In article <86676@netnews.upenn.edu> dww@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Grand master tong) writes:
>What is wrong with forming hypothesis and testing with experiments and measurements?
>
First of all, sorry for the delay in replying...I was kind of not connecting
to net for couple days.
I didn't say it is wrong..but it is a little narrow-minded approach.
My point is :
1. You can't experiment and measure (IMHO) properly in the case of studying
society or culture or any human-related things.
2. You don't seem to follow your own arguments..I mean, asking possibly-offen-
sive questions and then flaming some of answers is NOT experimenting and
measurement, right?  Oh, I just realized that it might have been experiment
about Koreans' response to such things.. I don't know..anyway I am not you.

>Would you , Sir acre to elaborate on that??
>
Sorry that I can't elaborate right now 'cause I have some big things to deal
with..maybe I can do that after some while to you directly without consuming 
the public net.

>(Well, that is what you, a professor in economics, says; I can not contest that since I am not a professor like you are in econimics)
>
This statement makes me fell quite perplexed. I am NOT a professor.
Before I am called "a liar", I should clarify this. If I suggested this idea
in any of my writings, please forgive me. I am a graduate student, not profe-
ssor :-). Maybe it was the term "economist" which I used for the first time.
Now I think I should return to "pre-economist" again.. :-(


>But that does not mean all theories in economics are not derived
>scientifically?
>
Exactly my point. I would say some of economics was derived by the method
you're referring to..but not all of them.. so I said, "add some flexibility
to your method".  Also IMHO, I think the some portion of *scientific theories*
are not satisfactory.

>Economists collect data, plot graphs, analyse data etc.
>All these are Scientific methods, aren't they???
>
Actually I don't know what exactly Scientific methods you're referring to..
so if you say like this, I just agree, yes..it's scientific.
There are three kinds of economists in the world. The first is those who
collect data, ...etc,etc..i.e. those you're thinking of.. they are called
"mass media economists".. (for example, those who announced "supply side
economics" or so-called "Reaganomics"). The second is Macroeconomists who
are similar to mass media economists but have much more reservations about
the method. The third is Microeconomists who, if you observe carefully you
will find that they are very irrelevant people :-), try to be real rigorous
about the way people deal with economic problems. [ no offense intended to
any economists whoever read this.. :-) ]
Unfortunately I belong to the third category..

>When I say we can apply scientific methods to society, I am thinking about
>psychology, and the other other social sciences
>
>WHAT was so un-scientific about that statement????? 
Who granted that we can use *scientific methods* to society? I'm questioning
the starting point. 

>PLease, Sir , support your statement with illustrations and/or diagrams.
>
I feel extremely sorry about this. But I can't show you illustrations or
diagrams here on screen. And if you are determined to receive only explana-

>Denny.

sorry for the point which ambiguous above..I promise I will elaborate 
(maybe personally to dww) afterwards..I'm pretty busy right now.. :-)

-- 
 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.........                                 
Xref: sparky soc.culture.korean:4154 soc.culture.asian.american:8789 soc.culture.asean:5945