Capitalizing the Measure of Our Ignorance: A Pragmatist Genealogy of R&D

As the dust of the Second World War began to settle, that which began life in the U.S. as an experimental space in early twentieth century firms became a knowable object of intervention for economics and accountancy alike. Jumpstarted by the war, research and development, or RandD, was pulled into the experimental forays of a new generation of experts, including macroeconomic growth theorists. By explaining growth outputs in terms of RandD inputs, postwar macroeconomists failed to learn the lesson that was so hard won by accountants, namely: that it is the very uncertainty of outcomes which makes experimental inquiry so valuable to society and yet so untenable as capital.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Science and Technology Studies

Department dc:contributor.department

Science and Technology Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Lotfi, Sarvnaz

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Breslau, Daniel

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Wisnioski, Matthew
• Halfon, Saul E.
• Olson, Philip R.
• Goodrum, Matthew R.

• accounting history
• history of economics
• R&D
• John Dewey
• methodology

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:27095

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/99877