Pat Gunning wrote:
>Kevin, I think that you misunderstood my claim. I
>merely said that [t}raditionally the values in
>economics have been broadly utilitarian." Since HES is
>an email list about the history of economics, utilitarian values
>are of the most interest.
>
>I would be surprised if anyone on the list disagreed
>with the propositions:
>
>1. that economics has for the largest part been a
>practical field of study that deals with whether this
>or that government policy will "benefit the people."
>
>2. that benefit has typically been defined in a
>broadly utilitarian sense.
Ok, Pat. I would add only that this is a narrowing of concern compared to
our predecessors. Smith, for example, in Jerry Muller's formulation (The
Mind and The Market) - I'm paraphrasing - was concerned not just with the
way markets make can people better off, but how and under what
institutional circumstances they can make better people - more autonomous,
etc. Cheers,
Kevin Quinn