In her guest post for the Society of U.S. Intellectual History Blog, titled “Marginalized Economists: Revisiting Robert Heilbroner,” Rachel M. Cohen argues for the continuing significance of “arguably the most prominent dissenting American economist of the late twentieth century.”
“While historians have begun to take interest in the history of economic thought, the tendency to research the most influential figures, the “historical winners”, has persisted as the predominant scholarly trend. But there are merits to studying the dissenters, too. Following not only how the economics profession took the turn it did but also looking at those who tried to advocate for an alternative vision, can help to clarify the seeming intellectual hegemony of our economic times.
“Robert Heilbroner, arguably the most prominent dissenting American economist of the late twentieth century, followed his changing discipline with despair. So great was his anxiety over the powerful trends capturing the minds of his colleagues, championed by individuals like Paul Samuelson, Milton Friedman and Gregory Mankiw, that he dedicated himself to addressing what he felt were economics’ existential threats. Yet despite his efforts, with over twenty books to his name, Robert Heilbroner never gained recognition and mainstream respect. Even in 2014, there remains little work written about him.”
Continue reading Rachel M. Cohen’s post on the Society for U.S. Intellectual History Blog.