Response to Randall Stone heresy or scientific progress?

Randall Stone's critique of theory of moves (TOM) is motivated by a desire to purge game theory of TOM's alleged "backsliding" and restore its superior orthodoxy. But Stone's indictment is marred by serious misunderstandings of TOM and unfortunate misconceptions about what constitutes a scientific theory and how it should be applied and tested. The author rebuts Stone's charges and briefly discusses a new area for which TOM seems especially well suited - the study of path dependence - suggesting how TOM can contribute to the understanding of when actors make seemingly irrational choices that lead to immediately worse outcomes.