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A professor from another discipline has the following questions. I will 
point the inquirer to the list discussion for answers to the questions. 
 
1. When did economists start talking about "industries" in the modern 
idiom? My read on US history at least is that even through turn of the 
early 20th century, industries were still "personified" in people like 
Carnegie, etc.   When do standard econ views emerge (e.g., 
cross-elasticities and other abstract formulations). Is this Marshall or as 
late as Stigler/Hicks? 
 
2.  Do you know a source that tracks the history of economics with specific 
focus on the rise of industrial org economics and the templates of how 
economists think about an industry and how this idea spread? 
 
3.  I have looked at Blaug, etc. and standard histories of economic ideas. 
I am really looking for someone who has done historical sociology of 
economics in nitty-gritty -- when and why do we start to worry about 
industry "boundaries" or actually markets and to come up with conceptual 
strategies to delineate 
these? 
 
The context for this: To present a fully sociological/institutional account 
of industry, it seems that "industries" are usefully treated as 
historically-specific assemblies, provided boundaries largely by the 
actions of modern states 
and economists via issues like anti-trust and market definition in the U.S. 
I know less about competition policy and how lawyers or economists are 
involved in this in European context. But this is a pretty modern activity, 
I am 
seeking economist thinking that treated "industry" as alternative to 
current wisdom. 
 
 
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