>
> "Why might the inattention to modern economics be so systematic?" (ERW)
>
>  Is in your opinion this inattention the result of a conscious choice by
> contemporary historians of economics, or is it not feasible, for a variety
> of reasons, at all to research many modern topics? If it is mostly the
> former, then it is not "inattention" in the first place, but conscious
> neglect. (Nunio Palma)
>


I have had to check back several times to confirm my original post, as I
don't recognize my questions in most replies. I thus fear that I was
unclear. First, I have the utmost regard for Malcolm Rutherford and his
important work, but his work does not touch on the recent major changes in
economics, namely those associated with the move from post WWII formal
modeling to current empirical modeling, that the modern NBER fostered and
which now defines modern (1980ish onwards) economics. This is the subject of
Warsh's piece, which generated my query, but which article seems not to have
been considered in any responses. (Burns of course is ancient history with
respect to the kinds work based on purposive behavior and simple supply and
demand frameworks.)  David Colander has been trying to open this new kind of
work up to arguments about how modern empirical microeconomics is and is not
congruent with what is taught in microeconomics textbooks, but he seems to
be almost alone in doing so in our HET community. (I wonder if that is
because his continuing work on the sociology of Ph.D programs in the US
keeps him in touch with what is being taught in those programs.)

Nunio Palma asks the appropriate question then. Certainly it is not feasible
to "research" these issues the way one "researches" Ricardo's theory of
machinery. This point is well-understood in the history of science, namely
that the historiography of contemporary science is different from the
historiography of older science. Thus, using Palma's words, the
"inattention" and "conscious neglect" may come to the same thing. The
question remains, though: why?

E. Roy Weintraub