#AI #OpenAI #ChatGPT: Instead of for providing answers, have any Nobel Prize in Economics been awarded for raising a question?

I asked ChatGPT:

Instead of for providing answers, have any Nobel Prize in Economics been awarded for raising a question?

ChatGPT answered:

While Nobel Prizes in Economics are generally awarded for providing answers—often in the form of theories, models, or empirical findings—some laureates have been recognized for posing fundamental questions that reshaped economic thinking. These cases typically involve identifying key problems or paradoxes that forced the discipline to evolve.

Some notable examples:

1. Robert Lucas (1995) – His work on rational expectations was not just about providing answers but also about questioning how economic agents form expectations and whether traditional Keynesian models were adequate.

2. Ronald Coase (1991) – His famous paper, The Problem of Social Cost, posed the fundamental question: Why do firms exist, and how do transaction costs shape economic organization? This question transformed fields like law and economics.

3. Herbert Simon (1978) – He challenged the assumption of perfect rationality in economics by asking how decision-making actually works under real-world constraints, leading to the concept of bounded rationality.

4. Paul Samuelson (1970) – While known for providing answers, his questioning of equilibrium stability and the foundations of welfare economics pushed the field in new directions.

5. Elinor Ostrom (2009) – Her work on common-pool resources stemmed from questioning the conventional wisdom that such resources must either be privatized or regulated by governments.

Would you say these count as prizes awarded for raising questions, or do they fall into the category of answering them?

I said: Though these questions were followed up with some kind of answer, this reads like a well balanced answer. Thanks!

It said: You're very welcome! I appreciate your thoughtful perspective on the distinction between raising and answering questions in economics. Let me know if you'd like to explore similar nuances in other fields.

Note: The answers here are copied exactly from those given to me by OpenAI