He, of course, is correct that when social sciences imitate the physical sciences that nothing has been accomplished. This certainly also applies to all econometricians. But, it appears that Feynman has not grasped what Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek taught us, that the social sciences are a different type of science where empirical work does not result in fundamental understanding, but deductive analysis can be used to reach fundamental principles.
However, Feynman's further point with regard to phony empirical studies in the physical sciences is a point worth keeping in mind.
"different type of science where empirical work does not result in fundamental understanding, but deductive analysis can be used to reach fundamental principles."
ReplyDeleteThen it's not science. It's philosophy. They are different and mutually exclusive. Science always requires empirical proof.
Don't get me wrong...you can arrive at valuable fundamental principles that help make inferences about the future (as you've shown!) But it's not a "type of science."
I think your definition of science is unnecessarily restrictive, then. It is experimental science.
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