Science and Ideology in Economic, Political, and Social Thought

Hillinger, Claude (November 2006): Science and Ideology in Economic, Political, and Social Thought. Discussion Papers in Economics 2006-35

Abstract

This paper has two sources: One is my own research in three broad areas: business cycles, economic measurement and social choice. In all of these fields I attempted to apply the basic precepts of the scientific method as it is understood in the natural sciences. I found that my effort at using natural science methods in economics was met with little understanding and often considerable hostility. I found economics to be driven less by common sense and empirical evidence, then by various ideologies that exhibited either a political or a methodological bias, or both. This brings me to the second source: Several books have appeared recently that describe in historical terms the ideological forces that have shaped either the direct areas in which I worked, or a broader background. These books taught me that the ideological forces in the social sciences are even stronger than I imagined on the basis of my own experiences. The scientific method is the antipode to ideology. I feel that the scientific work that I have done on specific, long standing and fundamental problems in economics and political science have given me additional insights into the destructive role of ideology beyond the history of thought orientation of the works I will be discussing.

• Item Type: Paper
• Keywords: Business cycles, Ideology, Science, Voting, Welfare measurement
• Faculties: Economics; Economics > Munich Discussion Papers in Economics; Economics > Munich Discussion Papers in Economics > Macro-Economics; Economics > Munich Discussion Papers in Economics > Welfare Economics; Economics > Munich Discussion Papers in Economics > History of Economic Thought; Economics > Munich Discussion Papers in Economics > Philosophy and Methodology of Economics; Economics > Chairs > Seminar for Mathematical Economics (closed)
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 300 Social sciences, sociology and anthropology; 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• JEL Classification: B40, C50, D71, E32
• Language: English