UTILITARIANISM, WELFARE THEORY, AND SYSTEMS DEBATEĨ. MARSHALL AND THE THEORY OF PARTIAL EQUILIBRIUMĦ. Any noneconomist wishing to acquire an intellectually serious introduction to economic theory would be well advised to begin with this book (and some overspecialized economists could certainly benefit too!).Īn enjoyable and well-organized history that will attract many readers to this highly readable treatise on the 'dismal science.'ĥ. Kurz achieves a truly impressive attention to detail and is able to provide intellectually satisfying explanations of many economic theories, both classical and modern. Ian Steedman, Manchester Metropolitan University:Įconomic Thought ranges from harvest details on ancient Babylonian clay tablets to select recent developments in economic theory. Kurz understands well the dual nature of historical studies: to establish what the relevant theories meant in their time and their often changed application to our time.Īn excellent read both for economists trained in the current traditions who want to know more about how their field evolved and for general readers looking for a broad but relatively compact history of economic thought. The curious reader could not ask for a better guide to the significance of the history of economics than Kurz, who has distilled his many years of scholarship into this fine, easily readable book.

Geoffrey Harcourt, University of New South Wales: If you're looking for a short but masterful overview of the course of economic thought, Heinz Kurz's book, translated from the German by Jeremiah Riemer, might be just the ticket. The book is remarkably successful in its objective of providing a brief history of economicthought.

Economic Thought by Heinz D. Kurz