Positive economics encourages value judgments.

BlackTom题目解析

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Positive economics encourages value judgments.

BlackTom题目解析

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Reframe the question in your own words: does positive economics encourage value judgments, given the statement and options provided?
Option 1: "True". Reasoning: Positive economics is typically defined as the branch of economics that describes and explains economic phenomena without prescribing how things should be. It focuses on objective analysis, empirical evidence, and testable theories. A claim that it encourages value judgments would imply that the analysis inherently prescribes what ought to be, which contradicts the conventional aim of keeping analysis value-neutral. This option rests on a misconception about the methodological goal of positive economics, and therefore is inconsistent with standard definitions.
Option 2: "False". Reasoning: This option asserts that positive economics does not encourage value judgments. The core idea behind positive economics is to analyze facts, data, and causal relationships to explain how the economy operates, rather than to advocate for particular policies or normative judgments about what should be done. While discussions about policy can involve normative elements, the positive framework itself strives to remain descriptive and testable, separate from value judgments. This makes the claim align with the typical characterization of positive economics, though it does acknowledge that experts may discuss policies in normative terms in other contexts.
In evaluating the two choices, it helps to separate method from aims: the method (positive economics) aims for objectivity and empirical support, while the presence of value judgments would align more with normative economics or policy prescriptions. Misconceptions often arise when people conflate describing outcomes with prescribing them, or when they think that describing incentives or constraints inherently carries normative bias.
To reinforce the distinction, consider that positive analysis might identify that a policy reduces unemployment, but whether unemployment should be targeted by policy is a normative question outside the descriptive scope. Conversely, a statement that positive economics always involves value judgments would blur the line between describing mechanisms and advocating ends, which is not how the positive approach is typically framed.

Positive economics encourages value judgments. BlackTom题目解析

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