Abstract:
Starting with a realist ontology the economic methodologist, Tony Lawson, argues that econometrics is a failed project. Apparently more sympathetic to econometrics, the philosopher of science, Nancy Cartwright, again from a realist perspective, nonetheless argues for conditions of applicability that are so stringent that she must seriously doubt the usefulness of econometrics. In this paper, I reconsider Lawson's and Cartwright's analyses and argue that realism supports rather than undermines econometrics properly interpreted and executed.
More papers in Department of Economics from California Davis - Department of Economics Address: University of California Davis - Department of Economics. One Shields Ave., California 95616-8578 Contact information at EDIRC. Series data maintained by Thomas Krichel ().
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