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April 28, 2024 

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ABSTRACTION: Simplifying the complexities of the real world by ignoring (hopefully) unimportant details while doing economic analysis. Abstraction is often criticized because it's, well, it's JUST NOT REALISTIC. However, when done correctly (ignoring things that JUST DON'T MATTER), then the pursuit of knowledge is greatly enhanced by abstraction. For example, when travelling cross country along a high-speed interstate highway, a paper road map is a handy tool. It shows towns and cities along the way, the major intersections, rest stop locations, and other important points of interest. However, it ignores unimportant details. It doesn't realistically show the location of every tree, bush, or blade of grass. Why bother? This information won't enhance your road trip.

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WORLD VIEW:

An aspect of a scientific theory that includes fundamental, and unverifiable, axioms, beliefs, and values about how the world works. One example of an unverifiable world view axiom is belief in the existence of a supreme, omnipotent, omniscience being--that is, God. Political philosophies, which are essential to economic theories and policies, are intertwined with alternative world views.
World view axioms are unverifiable because they are not directly testable against the real world. They contain concepts that are inherently immeasurable. As such, they must be accepted on faith. Believe or not.

Albert Einstein, for example gave insight into his world view by saying, "God does not play dice with the universe." While unprovable, Einstein believed that the universe operated by a set of natural laws--not by random chance. In his view, nature was not random, an event did not occur by chance, it was caused by something, it operated according to cause-and-effect laws of nature.

The components of a person's world view include religious belief, political view, cultural background, social upbringing, and overall philosophy of life. Key components of a world view usually include a notion of how and why the universe was created, the reason for humanity's existence, the proper role of government in the society and the economy, and the fundamental goodness or badness of humanity.

While the axioms and beliefs that comprise a world view are not directly testable with real world data, they are not totally free of scientific scrutiny. In fact, each time a hypothesis inspired by a theory is tested against the real world, all parts of the theory, including the world view, are tested indirectly. If a hypothesis does not agree with the real world, if it fails a test, then it opens up the possibility that any part of the theory is incorrect, including the previously verified principles or the unverified world view axioms and beliefs.

The process of scientific discovery has continually called into question many of society's basic beliefs. Some axioms are supported, others are contradicted. Some beliefs are discarded, others survive.

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Recommended Citation:

WORLD VIEW, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2024. [Accessed: April 28, 2024].


Check Out These Related Terms...

     | principle | hypothesis | cause and effect | verification | data |


Or For A Little Background...

     | scientific method | political views | normative economics | axiom | assumption |


And For Further Study...

     | four estates | fallacies | seven economic rules | economic thinking |


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