I agree, Greg.  Thus the importance of the interpretation/justification/ 
exploration of the implications that must necessarily accompany a 
particular proposed geneology.  But this still leaves the issue of the 
identification of, and relative weight attached to, a particular influence, 
be it a person, event, book, etc., not to mention sets of influences acting 
in combination.  I guess it depends on whether one undertakes the exercise 
as a sort of parlor game, in which case it's no big deal, or a serious 
scholarly project. 
 
It should go without saying that where students depart from their 
mentors/teachers is at least as interesting and important as where they 
follow them. 
 
>I should think that one feature recommending the family 
>tree project is the very fact that it is open to alternative 
>interpretations, and makes inspires one to think about the 
>significance of history to the shape of contemporary ideas.  The 
>fact that the task has no 'right answers' is one reason it is' 
>worth doing -- a provocative way to inspire interest in the history 
>of economic thought. 
> 
>Greg Ransom 
>Dept. of Philosophy 
>UC-Riverside 
 
___________________________________ 
 
Mathew Forstater      Department of Economics 
        Gettysburg College     Gettysburg, PA  17325 
 
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