Dear colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing regarding the next session of my research seminar, “Description, Evaluation and Prescription in Economics and Philosophy” at the Collège International de Philosophie (Université Paris Lumières), organized with the support of the Walras-Pareto Center (Université de Lausanne) and the Université Paris Cité.

The next session will take place on Friday, April 21. I will have the pleasure of listening to a talk by Janek Wasserman, Professor of History at the University of Alabama, entitled, ”’We cultivated neither school, nor community, nor sect’: The reluctance of early Austrian economists to identify as a school”.

Here is the Abstract of the talk:

"One of the main concerns of today’s Austrian Economics is distinguishing itself from “mainstream” economics through a definition of core principles, shared values, and key thinkers. There is a long history of this preoccupation, dating back to Friedrich von Wieser and Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk. Ironically the early representatives of the Austrian tradition avoided or rejected the “school” appellation, which opponents foisted upon them. They believed, to quote Milton Friedman, “There is no such thing as Austrian economics—only good economics, and bad economics.” This paper will examine the hesitancy of early Austrian School members to identify as a collective – whether it was Carl Menger’s overtures to the German Historical School in The Principles of Economics, Joseph Schumpeter’s dismissal of schools as “expediencies,” or the title quotation from Ludwig von Mises. To understand this circumspection, this paper will explore the diversity of opinions within Austrian economics from the first (Menger) generation to the fourth (Hayek) generation that arose out of engagement with the larger social scientific concerns in Austria, Central Europe, and beyond. For them, a “school” suggested something narrow, doctrinaire, and sectarian. They wished to avoid such an interpretation of their work. Paradoxically, the early Austrians often excluded people from their tradition, an incongruity that will be investigated through a discussion of their early interlocutors (German Historical School members, Austro-Marxists, and socialists). The paper will conclude with a brief consideration of how and why belonging to an “Austrian School” or “Austrian Economics” became a positive attribute, partly for the Austrians themselves after emigration but especially for non-Austrian individuals sympathetic to selective “Austrian” ideas".

Janek has published numerous papers on European Intellectual History, Modern German History, Central European History, the History of Economic Thought, and the Holocaust. He is also the author of two outstanding books, Black Vienna The Radical Right in the Red City, 1918–1938 (Cornell University Press, 2014) and The Marginal Revolutionaries. How Austrian Economists Fought the War of Ideas (Yale University Press, 2019). The latter won the Joseph J. Spengler Best Book Prize, awarded in 2020 by the History of Economics Society. Janek’s book on Austrian economics is one of the most remarkable books I have read recently. Methodologically, it combines intellectual and social history in the best possible way, showing that the two approaches (intellectual and social) lead to truly enriching results when connected and not opposed. And more importantly, it offers a measured appraisal of the legacy of Austrian economics, showing, in particular, that it would be unjust to forget the contributions of highly original figures such as Friedrich von Wieser, Eugen von Philippovich, and Oskar Morgenstern, largely overshadowed by the outsized role played by Ludwig von Mises and Freidrich von Hayek in contemporary socio-economic thought inspired by Austrian economics.

Janek’s talk, open to all without registration, will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm (Paris time) over Zoom. You can attend the seminar using this link: https://unil.zoom.us/j/95709013453

My very best wishes,