▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁“ est ab lish ment ” ▁in ▁econom ics . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁even ▁a ▁choice ▁that ▁any ▁individual ▁econom ist ▁is ▁necessarily ▁aware ▁of ▁making . ▁R ather ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁way ▁econom ics ▁oper ates ▁as ▁a ▁social ▁system — including ▁the ▁way ▁new ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁establishment ▁are ▁selected — ret aining ▁its ▁place ▁within ▁the ▁larger ▁society ▁by ▁perpet u ating ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁ideas ▁which ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁useful ▁by ▁that ▁society , ▁however ▁d ys function al ▁the ▁same ▁set ▁of ▁ideas ▁may ▁be ▁from ▁a ▁scientific ▁understanding ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁economic ▁system ▁works . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁econom ics ▁is ▁unw illing ▁to ▁ad here ▁to ▁the ▁ep ist em ological ▁principles ▁which ▁distinguish ▁scientific ▁from ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁intellectual ▁activity ▁because ▁this ▁might ▁je op ard ize ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁econom ists ▁within ▁the ▁larger ▁society ▁as ▁the ▁def ender ▁of ▁the ▁dominant ▁faith . ▁This ▁situation ▁in ▁which ▁econom ists ▁find ▁themselves ▁is ▁therefore ▁not ▁unlike ▁that ▁of ▁many ▁natural ▁scient ists ▁who , ▁when ▁faced ▁with ▁mount ing ▁evidence ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁first , ▁the ▁Cop ern ican ▁theory ▁of ▁the ▁universe ▁and ▁then , ▁later , ▁the ▁Dar win ian ▁theory ▁of ▁evolution , ▁had ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁und erm ining ▁the ▁revel atory ▁basis ▁of ▁J ude o - Christ ian ▁eth ics ▁was ▁not ▁too ▁great ▁a ▁price ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁reve al ▁the ▁truth .' ▁ ▁Books ▁and ▁articles ▁ ▁E