...there's an old phrase in English (with no doubt equivalents elsewhere) that 'cleanliness is close to Godliness'. Felt pretty true during Covid, though what I'm now wondering is, maybe 'nastiness is close to dirtiness', in which case philosophers should be careful of getting their hands dirty...

Good question! We also know here that, when people have actually dirty hands, or are surrounded by dirt (e.g. an overflowing bin in the corner of the room), they tend to produce more authoritarian/conservative/punitive judgements when asking to respond to hypothetical cases...

...there are some interesting other cases around though, e.g. the British royal family. Their wealth depends on regular approval of democratic representatives via the 'sovereign grant' and 'crown estate', meaning that, curiously, they get to enjoy & exhibit extreme wealth without really owning it...

Mainly thinking of Musk today, though agree with you that, in any case, effects can trump origins. I think for me the Wilkinson/Pickett 'spirit level' material 20yrs ago was crucial to my connecting 'normative behaviourism' with extreme wealth reduction, though now rethinking that via your work...

I'm still waiting for my parents to buy me Civ 2. Been over 20 years now. Admittedly Dad now has the (convenient) excuse of having passed away, but Mum really needs to take the hint.

Looking back on it now, completing Civilization was my first exposure to 'The End of History' thesis. No matter which 'tribe' you started with, you always ended up at the same telos, which as I recall meant nuclear weapons, a big palace, and a growing sense of boredom...

...so maybe you're right this is a solution without a problem.

Looking back at the article, I suppose it's notable that our subject doesn't have something like (overlooked?) lab 'technicians'. We worry more about how 2 reward teaching/research right now. With that being said, they have given out Nobel science prizes for big methods-innovations in the past...

It's got my thinking running in multiple directions; really very stimulating! Also reminds me of the way in which many people in British cultural/political life have declined/handed back honours (& Uni degrees!) e.g. Sir/Dame/MB. Titles less significant than citizenship but renunciation interesting.

This reminds me of your opposition to 'principles' (vs values), despite your being admirably principled about things! My feeling is your deep resistance is 2 the doctrinal use of methods/principles vs, say, those who are aware of them, aware of their conflicts/tradeoffs & in turn the need 4 judgment

My guess is there's a worry, perhaps esp. in subjects unlike ours, that doing 'methods work' doesn't count as 'proper' work, in which case this would protect it, rather like the way the 'impact' agenda was meant to 'recognise' previously unrewarded (though now over-rewarded?) 'practice-focused' work

I like the idea of 'expressive exit'. Makes me think of a twist on normative behaviourism I often moot without yet delivering on. This kind of action matters though. It's committed, consequential, and reveals something important, so looking forward to digging into the paper at some point soon...

Also of special interest to @edmundhandby.bsky.social @nahshonp.bsky.social and others in/around @ecpr-nptmethods.bsky.social working on papers connected to this.