Actually I think methodological individualism is employed as an axiom underpinning free-market ideology. As such it will be claimed as self-evident even though to anyone not already conditioned to accept the axiom this seems blatantly ridiculous. The claim of trivial truth is in effect a blocking mechanism. Someone who questions the axiom must have a screw loose. Or in a more theological metaphor, ought to be shunned by the orthodox economic congregation.
Cheers, Ken Hanly --- Jim Devine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > i think by "trivial true" he meant the same as > Jefferson's phrase, > "self-evident." Equal bullshit. My source says that > Elster hasn't > rejected methodological individualism. Rather, he > rejected the idea of > individual rationality (as economists define it). > > On 7/31/07, ken hanly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I don't know whether he has rejected the view but > if > > it is trivially true then if he rejects it then he > > contradicts himself. Something that is trivially > true > > is a tautology and is true independently of what > may > > be factually true. A trivial truth contains no > > information. An example would be: It is raining or > it > > is not raining. This is true independently of > weather > > conditions--of course actually you need to specify > > time place etc. to get a proposition and its > negation > > disjoined. > > I think that he is just wrong. Methodological > > individualism is not trivially true. > > > > Cheers, Ken Hanly > > --- Jim Devine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > In 1989, the sociologist and erstwhile Marxist > Jon > > > Elster wrote that > > > > > > "The elementary unit of social life is the > > > individual human action. To > > > ex-plain social institutions and social change > is to > > > show how they > > > arise as the result of the actions and > interaction > > > of individuals. > > > This view, often re-ferred to as methodological > > > individualism, is in > > > my view trivially true." > > > > > > Am I correct to understand that he has since > > > rejected methodological > > > individualism? > > > -- > > > Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir > le > > > genti." (Go your own > > > way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing > > > Dante. > > > > > > > > > Blog: http://kenthink7.blogspot.com/index.html > > Blog: http://kencan7.blogspot.com/index.html > > > > > -- > Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le > genti." (Go your own > way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing > Dante. > Blog: http://kenthink7.blogspot.com/index.html Blog: http://kencan7.blogspot.com/index.html
