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The effects of education on democratic participation, workforce participation and public health are all explicitly assessed in Caplan’s book, particularly chapt

by sjy 5y ago

The effects of education on democratic participation, workforce participation and public health are all explicitly assessed in Caplan’s book, particularly chapter 6. This comment tends to prove the point he makes in the article: “Quantitative social science is barely relevant in the real world … If you’re lucky, researchers default to common sense. Otherwise, they go with their ideology and status-quo bias, using the latest prestigious papers as fig leaves.”

qqqwerty 5y ago
I am digging through his book and it reads to me like a healthy dose of ideology littered with references to sociology papers that would likely not survive replication. Additionally, I am reading a back and forth between Bryan and Noah Smith[1]. The main thing that stands out, is that after putting forth such a quantitative focused text on the topic, Bryan seems to resort to an idealogical back and forth with Noah. If you are going to put all this effort into building an excel model that makes your case, why are you not using that as your first line of defense? Quite frankly, I don't think either Noah or Bryan really make convincing arguments. But that is because the debate between "human capital" and "signaling" is such a squishy topic, and no amount of data analysis or philosophical reasoning is really going to change the debate any time soon. [1] http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/sheepskin-effects-signals-without.html http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/sheepskin-effects...
Aeolun 5y ago
Of course it is. If literally nobody wants to hear your answer, you might well (to use an example from a previous article) replace your audience with a rock saying “it’s not true. Go away.”, and have the same effect. I’m predisposed to saying education is insanely beneficial though. I want everyone to have all of it for free.

by sjy 5y ago

qqqwerty 5y ago

I am digging through his book and it reads to me like a healthy dose of ideology littered with references to sociology papers that would likely not survive replication. Additionally, I am reading a back and forth between Bryan and Noah Smith[1]. The main thing that stands out, is that after putting forth such a quantitative focused text on the topic, Bryan seems to resort to an idealogical back and forth with Noah. If you are going to put all this effort into building an excel model that makes your case, why are you not using that as your first line of defense? Quite frankly, I don't think either Noah or Bryan really make convincing arguments. But that is because the debate between "human capital" and "signaling" is such a squishy topic, and no amount of data analysis or philosophical reasoning is really going to change the debate any time soon. [1] http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/sheepskin-effects-signals-without.html http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/sheepskin-effects...

Aeolun 5y ago

Of course it is. If literally nobody wants to hear your answer, you might well (to use an example from a previous article) replace your audience with a rock saying “it’s not true. Go away.”, and have the same effect. I’m predisposed to saying education is insanely beneficial though. I want everyone to have all of it for free.