Comment on Poirier: Dogma or Doubt?
- 1 February 1988
- journal article
- Published by American Economic Association in Journal of Economic Perspectives
- Vol. 2 (1) , 153-158
- https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.2.1.153
Abstract
[This paper responds to “Frequentist and Subjectivist Perspectives on the Problems of Model Building in Economics,” by Dale J. Poirier, in this same issue.] Poirier appeals to the latent statistician that he hopes is lurking behind every economist. Like a good fundamentalist preacher he demands, “Do you believe in the Likelihood Principle?” As with most doctrines, we give it a quick glance and reply, “Amen, brother.” From there on we are trapped and led inexorably, via the creed of the likelihood principle (LP), to the one true religion of Bayesianism. Before I begin my critique, let me compliment the preacher on his sermon. I doubt if one could find a more engaging, beguiling, or coherent account of the strengths of following the Bayesian methodology. Next I provide a personal testimony concerning what bothers me about the dogmas of the recommended religion.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Conversation with David BlackwellStatistical Science, 1986
- Present Position and Potential Developments: Some Personal Views: Bayesian StatisticsJournal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A (General), 1984
- On the Asymptotic Behaviour of Posterior DistributionsJournal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B: Statistical Methodology, 1969