Kuhn and Lakatos week 4 Economic Methodology

Thomas Kuhn (1 st ), 1970 (2 nd )

Autobiographic fragment “Aristotle had been an acute and naturalistic observer. In such fields as biology or political behavior, his interpretations if phenomena had often been, in addition, both penetrating and deep. How could his characteristic talents have failed him so when applied to motion? How could he have said about it so many apparently absurd things? And, above all, why had his views been taken so seriously for so long a time by so many of his successors?

No Growth of Knowledge  time

But Revolutions

Paradigm 1483, from L.L. paradigma"pattern, example," especiallyin grammar, from Gk.paradeigma"pattern, model," fromparadeiknynai "exhibit,represent," lit. "show side byside,“from para- "beside" + deiknynai"to show" (cognate withL. dicere "to show;" (see diction).1483, from L.L. paradigma"pattern, example," especiallyin grammar, from Gk.paradeigma"pattern, model," fromparadeiknynai "exhibit,represent," lit. "show side byside,“from para- "beside" + deiknynai"to show" (cognate withL. dicere "to show;" (see diction).

Gestalt-switch

Pythagoras

Incommensurable

Attitude towards refutations What would Einstein have done had the eclipse experiment not agreed with relativity?: “Then I would feel sorry for the good Lord. The theory is correct!”. Albert Einstein and Sir Arthur Eddington

Anomaly

Reputation

Normal Science Puzzle solving Norms Exemplars (paradigms)

Imre Lakatos Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes

Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes Negative heuristic: ‘hard core’ is irrefutable Positive heuristic: anomalies must lead to changes only in the ‘protective belt’

Progressive shifts T 1  T 2  T 3  … P1P1 P2P2 P3P3

Rationality Choose the most progressive Theoretical progressive: predicts/explains new facts Empirical progressive: new facts are verified Degenerating: not progressive