"Economic theories are infinitely diverse in their predictive power. Entirely too many have zero predictive power-they are statements of tautologies. Thus the statement that to maximize profits one should operate a firm where marginal revenue equals marginal cost is a mere mathematical statement of the condition for a maximum. The example we gave of search theory is not a tautology because we can identify the factors that influence costs and returns.· Some theories have negative power: they predict the opposite of what happens (and then become useful in the hands of a sophisticated user)."
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People from SeattleNobel laureates from the United StatesEconomists from the United StatesColumbia University facultyNobel laureates in Economics
Original Language: English
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4th ed. (1987), Chap. 1 : Introduction to Economic Analysis
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Stigler
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George Stigler
George Joseph Stigler (January 17, 1911 – December 1, 1991) was a U.S. economist. He won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1982, and was a key leader of the Chicago School of Economics, along with his close friend Milton Friedman.
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