Tom Walker: Going through the motions. Jurriaan Bendien: What surprised me was how weak Mankiw's defense really is. A lot of that stuff he says is not even credible. I would have thought he would have made a much stronger case. So I really wonder why he is doing this at all.
------------ Indeed. This, I think, exemplifies two important considerations: First, the tremendous power of ideology (in the sense of "common sense" arising spontaneously from everyday habit) Secondly, the political impotence of _argument_ or formal persuasion. An ideology cannot be formally refuted, it can only be undercut by destruction of the institutions and practices which generate and regenerate it. Neoclassical economics is so firmly grounded in the practices of capitalism that the most trivial, even nonsensical, 'arguments' are sufficient for its defense. Carrol _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
