Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Joshua Wojnilower — Economic History Matters

History is not on the side of neoclassical and New Keynesian economics.
Regardless of one’s side on the matter, the above posts highlight the benefits of learning and studying economic history (or history of economic thought). The current push to eliminate these courses at most colleges and universities is a huge disservice to the future of economics as a social science (which it inherently is). Hopefully the trend can be reversed, in part, so that I may one day have the opportunity to teach courses in this field.
Amen.

Bubbles and Busts
Economic History Matters
Joshua Wojnilower

2 comments:

David said...

It will help if up and coming professors (like Woj) lobby for such courses, and if they can show their departments and administrators that there is a demand for them. Some pretty orthodox profs have recently complained of the lack of teaching of economic history and how it crippled the current mainstream's ability to understand, let alone prevent, the GFC.

Unknown said...

Tom - Thanks for posting the link.

David - Thanks for the encouragement. I've got a few years left of school but certainly plan on lobbying for those courses wherever I end up.