The Whimsical Science

Richard A. Levins

Review of Agricultural Economics, 1992, vol. 14, issue 1, 139-151

Abstract: Three interviews, fictitious in varying degrees, are used to explore some fundamental questions of economic methodology. The role of mathematics in economic reasoning, the question of truth in assumptions, and whether rigorous arguments will necessarily lead to important results are examined. The use of models in science is usually justified on grounds of prediction or explanation. The general theme of this paper is that many mathematical models in economics fail on both criteria.

Date: 1992
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