So with some trepidation, mixed with a little relief, I clicked the final submit button. Proofs done on the #Hansen book. I fully expect to wake up one morning remembering what I must have forgotten etc! I managed to get a reference to Thomas Hart #Benton into the introduction too.
Great quote by Koopmans on tractability traps in economics (or trampolines?)
I wish I had remembered it earlier
"Tools tools also have a life of their own. They may even come to dominate an entire period or school of thought. Our servants may thus become our guides, for better or for worse, depending on the accidents of the case"
Below is one longstanding pillars of how to interpret time-discounting in econ models
Has any econ written models relying on assumption that future generations are likely to be less wealthy (not as a policy, as in degrowth, as a fact. Not just in env research, maybe war related?)
(and no, I'm not a millenarist for asking this. these are serious research questions)
2 questions #economics #historyofecon
1) Is there any history of how and why some economists have gone more into abatement vs mitigation vs adaptation research on carbon emissions ?
(or maybe most specialists of the topic did research on all three, separately, or at the same time?)
@historyofeconomics #historyofecon #histecon
Big Economist:
"I see no problem here. we all agree the discount rate should big 0, but what matters in the end in whatever the rational planner/decision-maker believes is a right criterion. You 500p philosophy of justice book can be accommodate in my growth model"
( short tight unapologetic letter)
Big Philosopher: I'm not good at math but how do you handle definitions of 'just' in "just savings" within a utilitarian framework, and what if the discount rate needs to be zero, and what if ≠ individuals & generations w/ ≠ cultures & wealth have ≠ notions of "just saving" levels?
(very long a letter)
Big Philosopher: "my maximin principle is not to be used for between generation analysis"
Big Economist : "yeah, sure, but I'll still write a growth model with it thanks"
By way of repeating an #introduction now that I have migrated to this new home on Mastodon.
Having had a long break in the commercial world (business information systems), I have started writing again on the history of economics, mostly early 20th century monetary & macro economics. Some current projects are on Alvin Hansen, Sidney Alexander, and Theodor(e) Gregory.
How Nobel committees think about scientific credit
vs
how historians of science write about scientific credit
Robert Bigg
Beatrice Cherrier