Reflexivity and the Market Mind Hypothesis: Why George Soros is Not a Failed Philosopher (and What it Means for Economics, the Economy, and Investing)

George Soros is one of the best traders of all time. That is the general consensus. While Soros gladly accepts that compliment he frequently also expressed his frustration that he failed as a philosopher. Specifically, he admits that he was unable to formulate his philosophy of reflexivity from its original abstractions. More importantly, reflexivity—which informed his successful trading—did not get the academic recognition that Soros’s track record suggests it deserves. This paper will discuss the reasons for this, the key one being that reflexivity points to the elephant in economics’s room. This will be highlighted by explaining reflexivity, from its original abstractions, in novel terms provided by cognitive science. In particular, via philosophy of mind this paper will argue why Soros is not a failed philosopher. This leads to the submission that reflexivity deserves proper recognition as an early contribution to the emerging field of cognitive economics, for which the Market Mind Hypothesis is a standard bearer. Moreover, the issues discussed are relevant in the wider context of our economic predicament.