Artistic Quote by Kenneth E. Boulding
“It is clear that the building of models is not a purely mechanical process but requires skill of a high order - not merely mathematical skill but a sensitivity to the relative importance of different factors and a critical, almost an artistic, faculty in the selection of behaviour equations which are reasonable, tentative hypotheses in explaining the behaviour of actual economies.”
About This Quote
Economic modeling demands artistic sensitivity and critical judgment beyond mere mathematics.
In simple terms: Models need artistic skill.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate intuition when building models.
Themes
economics
modeling
creativity
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
academic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research design
- policy analysis
- academic teaching
Key Concepts
interdisciplinary thinking
critical analysis
hypothesis testing
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance art and math?
- What biases affect model choice?
A Different Perspective
May be hard to quantify artistic aspects.
![“[In science any model depends on a pre-chosen taxonomy] a set of classifications into which we divide the enormous complexity of the real world... Land, labor, and capital are extremely heterogeneous aggregates, not much better than earth, air, fire, and water.” quote by Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/47e/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_air_in-science-any-model-depends-on-a-pre-ch_12383.jpg)
![“[The question for the behavioral disciplines is simply] what is better, and how do we get there?” quote by Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/50a/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_behavioral_the-question-for-the-behavioral-discipli_272939.jpg)
![“[Even the mechanism can be endowed with an image. Thus] the thermostat has an image of the outside world in the shape of information regarding its temperature. It has also a value system in the sense of the ideal temperature at which it is set. Its behavior is directed towards the receipt of…” quote by Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bf0/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_behavior_even-the-mechanism-can-be-endowed-with-a_292365.jpg)
