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