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I am not trying to start an argument with this. I am also not trying to prove anyone wrong. I just want everyone to be on the same page.

In the comments following this question, there was a comment made stating that it was not "okay to treat all sources/opinions (irrespective of evidence) as legitimate in this forum."

Is this how we are suppose to treat other ideologies on this forum?

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    $\begingroup$ possible duplicate of How should we react whenever we encounter ideas that we disagree with? $\endgroup$
    – FooBar
    Dec 31, 2014 at 18:17
  • $\begingroup$ @FooBar I wrote both questions. Each has a distinct aspect. This question deals specifically with the quote. The other question deals with the way users should respond (in general). $\endgroup$
    – Mathematician
    Dec 31, 2014 at 18:30
  • $\begingroup$ I think this might be based on a misreading of the comment. I read it as meaning "sources consisting only of opinions that are irrespective of evidence aren't legitimate". I think you're reading it as "some sources and opinions are illegitimate irrespective of whether they are backed by evidence". I can see how the wording is ambiguous, but I think (hope!) that's not what they meant. $\endgroup$
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Jan 2, 2015 at 9:36
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    $\begingroup$ Please clarify which is "the" ideology with respect to which the rest are "other" ideologies. $\endgroup$
    – Alecos Papadopoulos
    Jan 3, 2015 at 17:42
  • $\begingroup$ @AlecosPapadopoulos "The" ideology is the ideology of the reader; "other" ideologies are those belonging to the other users. $\endgroup$
    – Mathematician
    Jan 3, 2015 at 20:46
  • $\begingroup$ On a purely structural level, I think it makes sense to treat research papers, especially ones published in established peer-reviewed journals, differently than opinion pieces. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Greinecker
    Jan 11, 2015 at 10:54
  • $\begingroup$ I think the only issue I would have with this is the "irrespective of evidence" part. To ignore actual evidence (probably not what OP really meant) would be highly unscientific. $\endgroup$
    – Lumi
    Jan 19, 2015 at 2:03
  • $\begingroup$ I don't see that there is any question of idealogy in the question referenced. $\endgroup$
    – dwjohnston
    Apr 22, 2015 at 4:12

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Any ideology, by definition, is not science, since it bases on ideas that are not disproven by facts. This board is concerned with the science of economics. Hence, questions based on ideologies are off topic here, and answers based on them are to be defined as NaN.

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  • $\begingroup$ +1: I agree in the sense that there are a lot of questions that come up that ask about Keynesian economics or Austrian economics, etc.. But these are to some extent irrelevant in the pursuit of economics as a science. (though, I suppose someone my argue this on some philosophical ground...?) $\endgroup$
    – jmbejara
    Dec 31, 2014 at 20:56
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    $\begingroup$ Every science has paradigms, and these can often have ideological influences, particularly in policy-related fields like economics. It is possible in any science to ask whether an ideology or paradigm is distorting the interpretation of evidence, or distorting the methodology by which evidence is collected - so long as the question and answers are focused around the evidence. $\endgroup$
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Jan 2, 2015 at 9:42
  • $\begingroup$ @user568458, yes, science has paradigms, but it is almost impossible for me to imagine that a question that "ask[s] whether an ideology or paradigm is distorting the interpretation of evidence" being an appropriate question here - that's way too subjective and inevitably argumentative. It's possible to ask questions that don't entirely support the dominant paradigm, of course, but these should be on concrete empirical, historical, or institutional questions - or, if theoretical, questions that could conceivably be formalized. $\endgroup$
    – nominally rigid
    Jan 7, 2015 at 1:19
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    $\begingroup$ So normative social choice is off-topic here? $\endgroup$
    – Michael Greinecker
    Jan 11, 2015 at 10:55
  • $\begingroup$ I believe it will receive better answers in Philosophy.Se $\endgroup$
    – FooBar
    Jan 12, 2015 at 9:23

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