Thanks all for a very interesting discussion. About 10 yrs ago I started a thread on the transition from political economy to economics. Some of it should be in the HES archives.


[In fact, the archives have the entire conversation. Please see

http://eh.net/pipermail/hes/1997-April/000041.html

Thanks, Roy, for pointing this out.

HB]


The most comprehensive discussion of the meaning of political economy as distinguished from economics can be found in The Science of Political Economy by Henry George.  In Book I, Chapter IX, pp 65-73 entitled "The Economy Called Political Economy", he shows the origin of the term political economy and its confusions. Also, see Book II, Chapter 1, pp 128-130 where there is a quote from Macleod which shows a preference for economics rather than political economy. The text was published posthumously in 1898 following George's death in 1897. 

Roy Davidson