Economists like to think of themselves as practitioners of value-free scientific inquiry, yet their values inevitably intrude into their models and their tests. This inevitable intrusion does not mean that facts and values cannot be kept separate, but it does suggest that economists should make their moral commitments plainly visible to aid those evaluating their findings.
Facts, Values, and the Burden of Proof
By Peter Lewin
This
article
appeared in
the Spring 2007 issue of The Independent Review.
EconomistsEconomyFree Market EconomicsPhilosophy and ReligionPublic ChoiceRegulationScience and Public Policy