Re: Re. Ontological Uncertainty

[Bruce McFarling <ecbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 18 Dec 2000 15:38:35 +0100, Harry Veeder
<eo200@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote, under the title,
"Re: Re. Ontological Uncertainty"

>>(2) For the particular area of concern, the world works
>>in a regular and predictable way, AND the person
>>concerned with the outcome has the information and
>>cognitive capabilities required to work out what the
>>predictable outcome is.  That is, there has to be
>>both ontological and epistemological basis for that
>>certainty.

>The above "warrants" apply to the
>economic theoretician not to the agents
>under study.

This implies a dichotomy that frequently falls over
in the social sciences -- a point, of course, that
David Dequech has made just recently.  The above
"warrants" applies to whomever it is that is
certain.

Of course, a wag would suggest that the certainty
felt by the agent under study is often unwarranted
certainty driven by institutionalisation, and the
certainty felt by the economic theoretician almost
invariably is in the same category.


Virtually,

Bruce McFarling, Shortland, NSW
ecbm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx