So, I returned late last night from Boston where I presented three papers at the 44th Eastern Economic Association conference. Only about 70% of those preregistered made it due to weather, with airport and train station both closed on Friday, first full day of conference.
One of those who did not make it was James Galbraith, scheduled to give the first Godley-Tobin plenary lecture, sponsored by the Review of Keynesian Economics (ROKE). However, he managed to do it from a Dallas hotel room, with a full room audience. He spoke on "Global macroeconomics - yes, macroeconomics, dammit - income inequality and distribution." A good opening for the series. ROKE editor Tom Palley among those not making it, and the word is out that the last of the founding editors, Louis-Philippe Rochon, is stepping down.
I have accepted an invitation to be one of three editors-in-chief of the fourth edition of the New Palgrave Dictionary in Economics. I met for the first time with the other two: Matias Vernengo and Esteban Perez Castelnedy, along with publisher, Mike Hermann, from Palgrave. This will be a large and long project, but at least we know where we are going at this front end for now.
Probably the two groups that have had the best long term relationship with the EEA and were both out in force at the conference despite the absences are URPE, which had 20 sessions there, and the New York Complexity and Computational Economics group, run by Jason Barr and Leann Usher. The latter had some of the best sessions I have seen in several years. They had 15.
I have been a fairly regular attender along with my wife, Marina, since 1990, although missed it last year due to not being in the country. It is idiosyncratic and has its ups and downs, but I think there were some good sessions this year, despite all the absences. Will be in New York next year.
Barkley Rosser
1 comment:
Barkley Rosser,
Congratulations on the appointment as one of three editors-in-chief of Palgrave Dictionary. Here is my unsolicited proposal for the foreword of the new edition.
Seven Plain Facts About ‘Economic Sciences’
1. Science manifests itself in the form of the true theory.
2. Truth is well-defined by material and formal consistency.
3. Logical consistency is secured by applying the axiomatic-deductive method and material consistency by applying state-of-the-art testing.
4. The true theory/model is the humanly best mental representation of reality.
5. “When the premises are certain, true, and primary, and the conclusion formally follows from them, this is demonstration, and produces scientific knowledge of a thing.” (Aristotle, 300 BC)
6. The four main approaches ― Walrasianism, Keynesianism, Marxianism, Austrianism ― are mutually contradictory, axiomatically false, materially/formally inconsistent and all got the pivotal economic concept profit wrong.
7. Orthodox and heterodox economics is failed/fake science, i.e. mere political agenda pushing. A Paradigm Shift is called for.
Egmont Kakarot-Handtke
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