Ralph Müller's cartridge: «A study has shown that...»

A study has shown that... The object complement of such a formula tends to win undivided support, and if a study were to show that eating wood is good for your health, some people would be quick to adjust their eating habits accordingly.

What I want to talk about here is not science, but scientism, defined by Hayek as «the slavish imitation of the method and language of science». For a long time now, certain players in the human sciences have been unable to compare the uncertainty of their methods and the fragility of their objects with the rigor of the hard sciences without blushing. They are therefore tempted to draw inspiration from the latter, driven by the desire to match its prestige, which they believe is measured by the practical value of the results obtained. But then, the humanity of the humanities is lost, as everything that is not practical is avoided as far as possible.