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Subjectivity concealed in index numbers

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From Asad Zaman This continues from the previous post on Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics. More than 1.5 million copies sold, more than all other textbooks of statistics combined. Online copy The vast majority of our life experience is built upon knowledge which cannot be reduced to numbers and facts. Our hopes, dreams, struggles, sacrifices, what we live for, and what we are ready to die for – none of these things can be quantified. However, as we have discussed, logical positivists said that what cannot be observed by our senses cannot be part of a scientific theory. As a result of this false idea, later disproven by philosophers, the attempt was made to measure everything – numbers were assigned to intelligence, trust, integrity, corruption, preferences, etc. – even though a

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from Asad Zaman

This continues from the previous post on Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics.

Subjectivity concealed in index numbers

More than 1.5 million copies sold, more than all other textbooks of statistics combined. Online copy

The vast majority of our life experience is built upon knowledge which cannot be reduced to numbers and facts. Our hopes, dreams, struggles, sacrifices, what we live for, and what we are ready to die for – none of these things can be quantified. However, as we have discussed, logical positivists said that what cannot be observed by our senses cannot be part of a scientific theory. As a result of this false idea, later disproven by philosophers, the attempt was made to measure everything – numbers were assigned to intelligence, trust, integrity, corruption, preferences, etc. – even though a long-standing tradition, as well as common intuition, tells us that these things are qualitative, and not measurable.  read more

Asad Zaman
Physician executive. All opinions are my personal. It is okay for me to be confused as I’m learning every day. Judge me and be confused as well.

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