Uskali makes a good point. 

If you frame the issue in terms of theories being possible analogies, as several economists have suggested, the concern disappears. If you say, "He swims like a fish", you do not have to believe that he is a fish. The analogy is simply giving a representation and possible insight into how he swims. Similarly with theories, they may sometimes provide some insight or understanding of real world phenomena, but, as analogies, they cannot be considered as 'true' descriptions of the real world. Any belief that they are is misplaced.

-----Original Message-----
From: Societies for the History of Economics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Uskali Mäki
Sent: Saturday, 15 November 2014 10:08 a.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SHOE] MARK BLAUG AND BELIEF IN MODELS

I would say one is not compelled to make a choice between use and belief, so no sharp dichotomy here. Depending on the intended or justified use of a model, and on how good the model is, one is permitted or even advised to believe some parts or aspects of the model (insofar as its relations to its target are concerned). Models are far more complex creatures than what most practicing economists or historians or methodologists of economics have been able to clearly articulate. Mark Blaug's concern is one that troubled economists of the 19th century already.
c uskali mäki


Lainaus Bruce Larson <[log in to unmask]>:

> Here is the Theil quote, which I always use on the first day of my 
> intermediate microeconomics course:
>
> "It does require maturity to realize that models are to be used but 
> not to be believed."
>
> Henri Theil, *Principles of Econometrics* (1971), p. vi
>
> Bruce Larson
> University of North Carolina at Asheville
>
> On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 11:21 PM, David Levy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> There is a "joke" in Henri Theil's Principles that models are to be 
>> used not believed. Around page 7 or so ... My copies are at the 
>> office but maybe I can find this on the web. I looked into years ago 
>> ... but let me not rely on my memory.
>>
>> David
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 7:08 PM, Richard Lipsey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>>         My late good friend, Mark Baugh, was wont to say that the 
>>> problem with economists when they came to talk about the real world 
>>> was the they believed their own models. I heard him say something 
>>> like that many times but never saw it in print, although I suspect 
>>> he did commit it to print somewhere in his voluminous writings.
>>>         I am writing an essay that amply illustrates Mark's comment 
>>> and would like to quote him on the opening page.
>>>         I would be most grateful if anyone could help we with a 
>>> reference to where Mark made that comment, or something similar, in print?
>>> Richard Lipsey
>>>
>> --
>> David M. Levy
>> Professor of Economics
>> George Mason University
>> Fairfax VA 22030
>> 703-993-2319
>>


--
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Uskali Mäki
Academy Professor
TINT Centre of Excellence in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences Department of Political and Economic Studies University of Helsinki http://www.helsinki.fi/tint http://www.helsinki.fi/tint/maki [log in to unmask]