It seems to me that the question of whether one can identify economic   
fallacies depends on a deeper issue that was not satisfactorily resolved   
in "mainstream economics," and certainly not resolved in the "History of   
Economic Thought." The issue is what economics is.  
  
I think that the reason for this eclectic set of responses and   
counter-responses to the original question about economic fallacies is   
diversity in the way the HESers define economics. Indeed, many HESers   
are not interested in defining economics at all. One who does not wish   
to define economics could scarcely have anything intelligent to say   
about what constitutes an economic fallacy.  He would presumably only   
criticize those who DID have something to say because they are not like him.  
  
Of course I have made this point about the definition of economics   
before on this list and have called for a discussion of the subject, but   
to no avail.  
  
Pat Gunning