Category Archives: Methodology

How Economics Found Science …and Lost its Subject Matter

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Nicholas Gruen

Herewith an article that was published by INET a couple of weeks ago, and Evonomics more recently. I’m republishing it here as it’s my ‘blog of record’ as it were, but also because it enables me to make notes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Economics and public policy, Methodology, Philosophy | 2 Comments

Academia: when there’s no ‘there’ there

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Nicholas Gruen

I The university is one of the finest creations of European culture. Alas, as a troublesome fellow once said, all that is solid melts into air. I’m a bit shy of attributing things to a single cause. These things tend … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Methodology, Philosophy | 2 Comments

UK policy wonks following Troppo in saying the lock downs were a mistake (but hiding the message a bit)

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Paul Frijters

Here at Clubtroppo, we have been saying for well over a month now that a quick look at the economic damage and the health damage of the responses to the corona virus tells you they dwarf the possible benefits of … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Death and taxes, Health, History, Methodology, Social Policy, Society | 12 Comments

Is it the social scientists job (or anyone else’s) to make models of reality? (Hint: no).

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Nicholas Gruen

There is still, I think, not enough recognition by teachers of the fact that the desire to think – which is fundamentally a moral problem – must be induced before the power is developed. Most people, whether men or women, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Methodology, Philosophy, Political theory | 5 Comments

My presentation in London

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Nicholas Gruen

Herewith my presentation in London “Economic reform thinking as if we’d bothered to do it” and Martin Wolf’s commentary on it beginning at around the 40 minute mark. Judging from audience comments, a good time was had by all. You can download … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Innovation, Methodology, Philosophy, Political theory | 2 Comments

The Norms of Science: Extract from Paul Romer

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Nicholas Gruen

I was looking for something on economic method, and found this section of Paul Romer’s “The Trouble with Macroeconomics” which I thought was worth posting. Some of the economists who agree about the state of macro in private conversations will not … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics and public policy, Methodology, Science | 16 Comments

The middleware of democracy. Or from knowledge to wisdom: or at least knowledge 2.0

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Nicholas Gruen

Simon Heffer’s High Minds presents us with a portrait of the mid-Victorians in which they consciously set about building the world which became ours. A liberal democratic world. To do so they recognised the need for all sorts of public … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Innovation, Methodology, Philosophy, Political theory, Public and Private Goods | 16 Comments