----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- 
I think that it is problematic to place Albert Hirschman's contribution alongside economic
imperialism. He always took some distances towards mainstream economics (in which is
embedded the economic approach to human behaviour) and he did not hide his scepticism
towards the work of Gary Becker (see his interview in Richard Swedberg's "Economics and
Sociology",1990).
 
I understand that some political scientists may feel uncomfortable whenever there is an
economist dealing with topics that they regard as 'their' subject, but to call it economic
imperialism in another thing. Was Hirschman trying to redefine the subject of economic
inquiry, by subsuming that topic to an economic (rational) explanation? I sincerely doubt,
and to put it in the same bag as rational choice theorists seems rather unhelpful.
 
Pedro Nuno Teixeira 
University of Exeter - University of Porto 
 
------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ 
For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]