----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- RE: [Koopmans] "felt the physical sciences were far ahead of the social and economic sciences" I just came across the following passage from: Mises _The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science_: http://www.mises.org/ufofes/ch8~5.asp: " As far as the empiricist principle of logical positivism refers to the experimental methods of the natural sciences, it merely asserts what is not questioned by anybody. As far as it rejects the epistemological principles of the sciences of human action, it is not only entirely wrong. It is also knowingly and intentionally undermining the intellectual foundations of Western civilization." I think there is a point in this: we would be lacking something as economists if we did not cultivate a sense of an own scientific method which is not to be evaluated in comparison to the achievements of natural sciences or engineering. Gerhard Michael Ambrosi ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]