From: "Tony Lawson" <TL27-AT-econ.cam.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 13:07:16 BST Subject: Re: BHA: Regression paper Hi Doug I worry about venturing out of my position of permanent lurker to this list, but I wonder if you could clarify for me which of the following positions, if either, you are defending: 1) regression analysis does not require a closure for the "parameter estimates", etc., to be meaningful/interpretable. 2) regression analysis only requires a closure within the sample period or domain. If 1) I would be interested in how this conclusion is reached; if 2) I would be interested in wether you think this will get us far in social world. I too enjoyed your talk very much, and would like to see a copy of the paper. Very best Tony > Date sent: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 12:14:02 -0400 > To: bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > From: Doug Porpora <porporad-AT-duvm.ocs.drexel.edu> > Subject: BHA: Regression paper > Send reply to: bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > Hi Everyone, > > Nick, thanks for your interest in my paper. Andy, thanks for that synopsis > of my paper and the ensuing discussion. I just need to type in some of the > changes I made while on the road and then will send you both a copy in Rich > Text Format. Marshall, I seem to recall your wanting a copy as well and > haven't forgotten. I also intend to send a copy to CCR in time for posting > all the papers on the Web site. > > Andy, you're right, I'm in sociology, which, it surprises me to say, does > not seem quite as bad as econometrics. I would make only one qualification > in your description of my position. I think the crux of the matter between > me and the CR economists is that I do not think that regression is an > explanatory tool at all but only an evidentiary too. Thus, although I > quite agree with the CR economists that we are unlikely to find any > time-universal conditions of closure necessary for regression to be a > nomothetic explanation, such time-universal conditions of closure are > unnecessary for regression _often_ to be one useful piece of _evidence_ for > the contingent operation of a mechanism at one sociohistorical point and > time. Stable conditions are unnecessary if you are not positing a > time-invariant explanation. > > Andy, I really enjoyed meeting you, too, and hope we can continue to be in > touch on these issues. More generally, I very much enjoyed seeing the > people I already knew, like Colin and Caroline, the people I knew only > virtually, like Gary, and the many new people I met. > > For those of you who so far have not been able to attend the CR conference, > I can only say it was great -- and amusing as well -- for me to be at a > conference where so many people shared so many of my basic sensibilities > that I could even appear to be the positivist in the bunch. More > seriously, at a conference with those with whom you share a framework, you > are able to explore higher level issues instead of fighting and refighting > the basics. For me that was novel and refreshing. > > doug > > doug porpora > dept of psych and sociology > drexel university > phila pa 19104 > USA > > porporad-AT-duvm.ocs.drexel.edu > > > > > --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- > --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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