Economic Science and the Austrian Method_3

Economic Science and the Austrian MethodYet even ifactions cannot be predicted in any scientific wa)',this does not imply that one reconstructive historical explanationis just as good as any other. It would be regarded asabsurd if someone explained the fact that I moved fromGermany to the United States by pointing out, for example,that the corn in Michigan, prior to my decision, was experiencinga growth spurt and that this had caused my decision.But why not, assuming here that the event regardingMichigan's corn indeed happened prior to my decision? Thereason is, ofcourse, that I will tell you that Michigan's cornhad no relevance for my decision. And insofar as anything isknown about me at all, it can be recognized that this is indeedthe case.But how can you recognize this? The answer is byunderstanding my motives and interests, my convictionsand aspirations, my normative orientations, and my concreteperceptions resulting in this action. How do we understandsomebody and, moreover, how do we verify that ourunderstanding is indeed correct? As regards the first part ofthe question-one understands somebody by engaging in apseudo-communication and interaction with him. I saypseudo because, evident1~ we cannot engage in an actualcommunication with Caesar in order to fmd out why hecrossed the Rubicon. But we could study his writings andcompare his convictions expressed therein with his actualdeeds; we could study the writings and actions of contemporariesand thereby try to understand Caesar's personali~his time, and his particular role and position within his. 30tIme.300n the logic ofhisto~ see Mises, Theory and History, chapter 14; The UltimateFoundation ofEconomic Science, pp. 45-51; Human Action, pp. 47-51, 59-64.40 • The Ludwig von Mises Institute