Thank you for your replies so far!
However, my question is not answered yet. To put it more plainly: A claim is
often repeated that the term “Austrian school of economics” has its roots in
an insult brought forward by Schmoller (and the German historical school)
against Menger. The early Austrian themselves adopted this term, deprived it
of its negative connotation and turned the term into having a positive
meaning. This is a nice little story and somehow used as one of the founding
myths surrounding the Austrian school. I tried to verify this claim, but I
couldn’t, because I didn’t find Schmoller using the term “Austrian” in this
sense. So, my question is, is this story is just a myth? Or did Schmoller
really use the term in this sense?
The term “Austrian” is not used in Schmoller’s response to Menger’s
Irrthümer, which Sam brought up.
Mises makes the assertions that “the German professors attached the epithet
“Austrian” to the theories of Menger and his two earliest followers and
continuators [and] they meant it in a pejorative sense.” Yet, Mises does not
give any source for this assertion. As far as I see it, Mises could actually
be the source of the “myth.”
Nicolas, I don't think that Mises’ general argument - that “Austrian” became
pejorative in Prussia in general - does help in this specific case (it just
reflects national resentments, which can still be found today).
Keith and John, thank you for your interesting reply! However, I’m
interested just in the term “Austrian” in the way described above, not in
the question at what point of time could one talk of an Austrian school.
Best wishes,
Reinhard
On Wed, 27 Apr 2016 17:58:16 -0600
Nicolas Cachanosky <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> See page 22 of The Historical Setting of the Austrian
> School of Economics by Mises.
>
>
> https://mises.org/system/tdf/Historical%20Setting%20of%20the%20Austrian%20School%20of%20Economics_3.pdf?file=1&type=document
>
>
> The term “Austrian” become a pejorative after Austria lost
> the battle of Koniggratz.
>
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> -NC
>
>
> Nicolás
> Cachanosky | Assistant Professor
>
> Department of Economics | School of Business
>
> Metropolitan State University of DenverSound Money Project |
>FellowCampus Box 77, P.O. Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217
>
> phone 303-556-3218 | cell 857-284-6365
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> www.msudenver.edu/economics
>
> www.ncachanosky.com
>
>
> Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2016 20:09:55 +0000
>From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [SHOE] Question concerning the term "Austrian
>Economics"
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> Also see Bonar’s article on the subject/term in Palgrave’s
>Dictionary, first edition, in particular his bibliography.
>
>
>From: Societies for the History of Economics [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of K Tribe
>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 2:31 PM
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Subject: Re: [SHOE] Question concerning the term "Austrian
>Economics"
>
>
> When Schmoller published his critical review of Menger in 1883 there
>was very little in the way of "Austrian" publication apart from
>Boehm-Bawerk's Rechte und Verhaeltnisse of 1881, which according to
>my own
> bibliography was his first published work. And as for the
>chronology of the diffusion of "Austrian economists", you can do
>worse than track BB's bibliography, which besides the two-part book
>on capital moves from reviews to summaries to publication in American
> journals by the early 1890s. But very quickly in the second half of
>the 1880s the idea that there was a distinctly "Austrian" approach is
>clear, both among "Austrians" and those outside the Austrian
>territories. Also worth looking at here would be William
> Smart's encounter with "Austrian" economics, since he was one of its
>major promoters in Britain. As with Wieser's article in the first
>volume of the EJ, by 1891 it was accepted that there was a distinctly
>Austrian school. These writers themselves referred
> to their work in terms of "our modern economics" - they saw it as
>distinctive, circumscribed, and modern.
>
>
> The best way to approach this question would be to read through the
>new economics journals of this period - American, French, Dutch, and
>the established German publications.
>
>
> James Bonar, “The Austrian Economists and their View of Value”,
> Quarterly Journal of Economics Vol. 3 (1888) pp. 1-31.
>
>Friedrich von Wieser, “The Austrian School and the Theory of Value”,
>Economic Journal Vol. 1 (1891) pp. 108-21.
>
>
> Keith Tribe
>
> On 27/04/16 14:44, Reinhard Schumacher wrote:
>
>
> Dear SHOE list,
>
>
> I have a question regarding the origin of the term “Austrian School
>of economics”. It is often claimed that the term “Austrian School of
>economics” was first used by Schmoller during the Methodenstreit as
>an insult against Menger. I tried to verify this claim,
> but I couldn’t. All I found was that Mises was making this assertion
>at one point (without giving any reference to Schmoller) and many
>others repeating it later.
>
>
> Does anyone know whether this claim is accurate and if it were, the
>source of it?
>
>
> (In some German publication, there is a competing claim that the
>terms “Austrian School” and “Austrian Economists” were first used in
>English journal articles in the late 19th century and that the German
>term “Österreichische Schule” originated from a translation
> from English (while in the German speaking world the term “Viennese
>School” (Wiener Schule) was used in the late 19th century).)
>
>
> I'll appreciate any suggestions!
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Reinhard
>
>
> --
>
> Dipl.-Verw. Wiss. Reinhard Schumacher
>
> Research Assistant
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
> University of Potsdam
>
> Chair of Economic Policy and International Economics
>
> Prof. Dr. Malcolm H. Dunn
>
> August-Bebel Str. 89
>
> D-14482 Potsdam
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
> Phone: +49-(0)331/977-4523
>
>Fax: +49-(0)331/977 4631
>
> E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Web:
> http://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/intwipo/chair/reinhardschumacher.html
>
>
--
Dipl.-Verw. Wiss. Reinhard Schumacher
Research Assistant
-----------------------------------------
University of Potsdam
Chair of Economic Policy and International Economics
Prof. Dr. Malcolm H. Dunn
August-Bebel Str. 89
D-14482 Potsdam
-----------------------------------------
Phone: +49-(0)331/977-4523
Fax: +49-(0)331/977 4631
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/intwipo/chair/reinhardschumacher.html
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