Stripping Away the Facade of Those Who Cower Before Mathematics and Swagger Before Sociology
"Without equations and data, it is nothing more than a word game."
This is the very logic that economists have brandished like a sacred sword as they invaded the territories of neighboring social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and political science. They have implicitly looked down upon disciplines that fail to neatly prove the complexities of human life through mathematical equations. For a long time, rigorous mathematical methodology was the absolute identity and ultimate weapon that allowed economics to reign as the "Queen of the Social Sciences."
However, at this exact point, we can deliver the most fatal counterpunch by turning their own logic right back against them. If the sophistication of formulas and mathematical rigor are the ultimate criteria for determining academic hierarchy, then shouldn’t economics hand over its leadership entirely to mathematics (mathematical sciences)? After all, the equations economists rely on are merely a downgraded version of "applied mathematics"—tools that mathematicians had already discovered and proven decades, if not centuries, ago.
The moment they are confronted with this piercing contradiction, the massive complex and opportunistic hypocrisy of economists, who claimed they just wanted to "consider reality," is laid completely bare.
Reality Before the Strong, Equations Before the Weak
If a mathematician were to demand that economists hand over leadership, saying, "Your discipline is ultimately just a tail wagging on the body of mathematics," economists would desperately erect a defensive shield. They would undoubtedly make this exact excuse: "Mathematics is a world of pure logic and symbols, but we deal with concrete subjects—real-world data and the material lives of human beings. Mathematics is just a tool; the essence is the economy!"
What a deceitful and convenient double standard. These are the very same people who snorted in derision just moments ago when sociologists or psychologists cried out, "The reality of humans and society is the essence, and your economic equations are merely a tool!" Yet, when faced with the authority of mathematics—a force stronger than themselves—they bring out that exact same logic, bowing their heads and whispering, "We possess the essence of reality."
They cower before mathematics, claiming they deal with reality, yet they swagger before other social sciences, mocking them for their lack of equations. The rigorous weapon they boasted about so proudly was never meant to protect the true essence of learning.
A Massive Power Politics in the Name of Academia
Ultimately, this contradiction points to a single conclusion: the reason economics refuses to cede leadership and stubbornly guards the "Economics" signboard is not because of academic legitimacy or the pursuit of truth, but entirely because of power and vested interests.
If pure academic precision and the aesthetic beauty of equations are the standards, economics must yield its throne to mathematics. Conversely, if accurately explaining the psychology of real human beings and social structures is the standard, it is only right to hand over leadership to psychology and sociology.
Yet, economics gives the driver’s seat to neither. Instead, it cleverly positions itself right in the middle—hijacking the "authority of science" from mathematics, while pillaging the "territory of reality" from other social sciences, solely to sustain its massive empire of privilege.
Conclusion: When the Signboard of the Empire Comes Down
Economics uses "mathematics" as a weapon when dominating other disciplines, but uses "reality" as a shield when fleeing from mathematics. In this opportunistic territorial expansion, economics has long since lost its pure identity as a discipline.
They absorb the core achievements of psychology under the guise of embracing reality and label it "Behavioral Economics," yet they stubbornly refuse to share an ounce of leadership. This is not the evolution of a discipline; it is merely the greedy survival tactics of a bloated empire trying to prolong its life.
Confronted with an empire tripped up by its own logic, we must now look straight at the reality of power hidden behind the massive, arrogant signboard of "Economics." A discipline that seeks to dominate everything but can no longer even justify its own identity will ultimately be left as a hollow shell—abandoned by both reality and mathematics.
Leave a Reply