The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science

Index

action. See human action animal comparisons: cooperation vs. competition, 78–79, 94–95; evolution ’s effects, 12–14; fallacy of, 109; free will, 51; purpose and choice, 4, 7, 30, 31, 41 animism, probability doctrine compared , 21 a priori thinking: certain knowledge, 57– 58; as character of praxeology, 4–5, 36– 37, 39–40; in determinism, 104; evolutionary origins, 12–15; and human mind structure, 9–12, 15–16; and regularity of world, 16–18. See also praxeology behavioral sciences, 36, 42, 91–93, 109. See also social sciences business forecasting example, 61 capital, 77, 102, 110–11, 114–15. See also market economy capitalism. See market economy causation. See finality certain vs. uncertain knowledge, 57–59 collective: construct of, 70–74, 95–97; economics perspective, 98–99; macroeconomic errors, 74–78 Collingwood, R. G., 34n2, 43 competition. See cooperation Comte, Auguste, 34, 58, 111–12, 116 concepts, attributing identities, 70–72. See also collective confirmation, 62–64, 108 consumers, 46, 101–3. See also market economy contract vs. status society, 98–99 cooperation: interpretations, 78–81, 98– 99; as man’s distinction, 87–88, 94– 95, 114; and representative government , 83 decision-making vs. gambling, 62. See also economic methods deductive reasoning. See a priori thinking determinism vs. materialism, 25–29 dialectical materialism, 26–29 economic methods, assumption errors: benefits of other methods, 3; collective vs. individual, 70–74, 98–99; cooperation vs. competition, 78–81; forecasting , 58–62; government capabilities, 85–91; idea origins, 81–82; macroeconomic explanations, 74–78; majority interests, 82–85; measurement, 56– 57; motives and attitudes, 67–69; research capabilities, 66–67; theory vs. practice, 69–70 Eisenhower, Dwight D., 97n4 empiricism. See natural sciences epistemology, purposes, 1–2 evolution and a priori thinking, 12–15 experience: and awareness of regularity, 17–18; as history’s focus, 38–41; and knowledge, 10–15; praxeology’s perspective , 37–38; and probability doctrine , 18–25; and theory confirmation, 62–63 experimental psychology, 42 index external world: finality’s absence, 31–32, 35–36; materialism’s deficiencies, 25– 29; perception of continuity, 47; regularity of, 16–18; relationship to human mind, 31, 104–5 finality: in history, 39, 41; of human action , 7, 17, 31–33, 35–36; and materialism , 26; natural science’s failures, 106–7, 109–10; research fable, 66–67 forecasting, 41–46, 53, 58–62 free market economy. See market economy free will, 21–22, 27, 51–53 games, market economy compared, 78–81 game theory, 38n6 Geisteswissenschaften, 7–8 genius, 55, 82 geometry, 10–11, 15 God, 1, 6, 32, 39, 47, 95–96, 106 government: assumption errors, 82–88; authoritarian vs. representative, 96– 97; and market economy, 83, 110–11; need for, 88–91; traditional terminology effects, 99–100 history: experiential character, 38–41; and individuality, 41, 53, 70–74; inevitability argument, 54–55; and predictions , 58–61; relevance principle, 91–93; sociology as, 34–35; and statistics , 50; theory compared, 14; and thymology , 42–44 human action: as aspect of human mind, 21, 37; certainty’s absence, 23, 58–61; collective vs. individual, 70–74; cooperation capability, 94–95; and finality, 7, 31–33, 35–36; and free will, 51–53; inclusive nature, 31; measurement argument , 56–57; motives, 62, 67–69; purposeful nature, 4–5, 7, 17, 30–31, 43; and speculation, 41–46; statistical information, 50–51; unknown link to thinking, 104–5; and valuation, 33. See also history; praxeology human mind: evolution’s effects, 12–14; materialism’s illusion, 26–29; natural science’s failures, 64–65, 106–7, 108; and perception, 31, 64; permanence of, 1, 14; and a priori thinking, 9–12; unknowable nature, 42, 48–49, 52–53, 104–5. See also human action Hume, David, 83 hypostatization, 70–72 idealistic vs. materialistic system, 97 ideas: and free will, 52; and individualism , 73–74, 81–82, 117; infallibility errors , 82–87; natural science’s failures, 24–25, 106–7, 109–10; and production forces, 27–29 income concept, 76–78 individuality/individualism: collective construct compared, 70–74, 95–98; as finality in history, 41, 53; and free will, 51–53; government’s impact, 91; and ideas, 73–74, 81–82, 117; inevitability argument, 55; macroeconomic errors, 74–78; in market economy, 98–99, 111; and progress, 110–11 inductive inference, 18–23 inevitability argument, 54–55 infallibility, assumptions of, 82–87, 89 infinite, the, 47 Kant, 10 knowledge: certain vs. uncertain, 57–59; with philosophy, 106, 108; sources of...