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...Over the past 230 years, the definition of economics has changed from topic to method. While economics was originally defined by the task of running a government and then the understanding of formal markets, the field has come to define itself by a scientific approach to human society. This method starts with formal models of decision-making agents and exposes these models to statistical tests. In that sense, the methodological heart of economics does not distinguish it from any other field that believes in the value of applying the scientific method to mankind...
...Harvard’s system of general education should emphasize methodology over topic because methods are harder to teach and learn than facts. Facts become easier to absorb by one’s self once one has a handle on methods. Harvard students can learn facts about the United Nations Security Council or the Federal Reserve Board from the New York Times or Wikipedia, but they cannot learn the tools to make sense of these institutions so readily. As students learn to think rigorously about society and how to use data to test their thoughts, they acquire...
...Administration, Gates was far more skeptical of Mikhail Gorbachev and his perestroika program than was either Baker or the President. Gates' closest ally in that minor crusade was none other than then Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Gates' nickname in the first Bush White House was Eyeore: no matter the topic, he always seemed to worry about the worst-case scenario. Gates, who has a healthy sense of humor, was usually the first to admit he was the in-house pessimist...
...magazine, which features the back view of a shirtless man flexing in a bra, cited Betty Friedan’s 1963 book, “The Feminine Mystique,” as the catalyst for encouraging dialogue on femininity. But attendees largely agreed that masculinity is a topic frequently overlooked as a result of a classic view of manhood. “There are these artificial ideas being imposed on women, but we don’t [stop to] think that natural masculinity is in conflict with the cult of masculinity, which is something we wanted to explore...
...piece on dating advice. After extensive research, I was shocked to discover that, in fact, there have been not one, but many past articles about dating advice. Just typing “dating advice” into Google alerted me that I had accidentally copied this topic idea from 2,110,539 different Web sites. You can imagine my distress when I read these articles and noticed that I had used many of the exact same words and phrases as these earlier writers, such as “true love,” “relationship...