A formal model of theory choice in science
نویسندگان
چکیده
Since the work of Thomas Kuhn, the role of social factors in the scienti®c enterprise has been a major concern in the philosophy and history of science. In particular, conformity eects among scientists have been used to question whether science naturally progresses over time. Using neoclassical economic reasoning, this paper develops a formal model of scienti®c theory choice which incorporates social factors. Our results demonstrate that the in ̄uence of social factors on scienti®c progress is more complex than previously thought. The patterns of theory choice predicted by the model seem consistent with historical episodes of theory change.
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