IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/econom/v76y2009is1p805-820.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Defining Economics: The Long Road to Acceptance of the Robbins Definition

Author

Listed:
  • ROGER E. BACKHOUSE
  • STEVE G. MEDEMA

Abstract

Robbins' Essay gave economics a definition that came to dominate the professional literature. This definition laid a foundation that could be seen as justifying both the narrowing of economic theory to the theory of constrained maximization or rational choice and economists' ventures into other social science fields. Though often presented as self‐evidently correct, both the definition itself and the developments that it has been used to support were keenly contested. This paper traces the reception, diffusion and contesting of the Robbins definition, arguing that this process took around three decades and that even then there was still significant dissent.

Suggested Citation

  • Roger E. Backhouse & Steve G. Medema, 2009. "Defining Economics: The Long Road to Acceptance of the Robbins Definition," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 76(s1), pages 805-820, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:76:y:2009:i:s1:p:805-820
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0335.2009.00789.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0335.2009.00789.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1468-0335.2009.00789.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. T. W. Hutchison, 1935. "A Note on Tautologies and the Nature of Economic Theory," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 2(2), pages 159-161.
    2. Gary S. Becker, 1974. "Crime and Punishment: An Economic Approach," NBER Chapters, in: Essays in the Economics of Crime and Punishment, pages 1-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Roger E. Backhouse & Steven G. Medema, 2009. "Retrospectives: On the Definition of Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 221-233, Winter.
    4. R. W. Souter, 1933. ""The Nature and Significance of Economic Science" in Recent Discussion," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 47(3), pages 377-413.
    5. M. Bronfenbrenner, 1962. "The Scarcity Hypothesis in Modern Economics," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 265-265, July.
    6. Boulding, Kenneth E, 1969. "Economics as a Moral Science," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(1), pages 1-12, March.
    7. O. Lange, 1945. "The Scope and Method of Economics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 13(1), pages 19-32.
    8. Robbins, Lionel [Lord], 1981. "Economics and Political Economy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(2), pages 1-10, May.
    9. Susan Howson, 2004. "The Origins of Lionel Robbins's Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 36(3), pages 413-443, Fall.
    10. Talcott Parsons, 1934. "Some Reflections on "The Nature and Significance of Economics"," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 48(3), pages 511-545.
    11. J. R. Hicks, 1941. "The Rehabilitation of Consumers' Surplus," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 8(2), pages 108-116.
    12. Friedman, Milton, 2008. "Milton Friedman on Economics," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226263496, January.
    13. Raymond T. Bye, 1939. "The Scope and Definition of Economics," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(5), pages 623-623.
    14. George J. Schuller, 1949. "Isolationism in Economic Method," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 63(4), pages 439-475.
    15. Paul Streeten, 1950. "Economics and Value Judgments," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 64(4), pages 583-595.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Thiago Dumont Oliveira & Carlos Eduardo Suprinyak, 2016. "Lionel Robbins’ first-step individualism and the prehistory of microfoundations," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 537, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    2. Pedro Garcia Duarte & Gilberto Tadeu Lima, 2011. "Privileging Micro over Macro? A History of Conflicting Positions," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2011_01, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    3. Cheng LI, 2020. "The rationality principle as a universal grammar of economic explanations," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 13(2), pages 58-80, November.
    4. Franck Bailly, 2022. "When mainstream economics does human resource management: a critique of personnel economics’ prescriptive ambition," Post-Print hal-03711945, HAL.
    5. Francesco GUALA, 2017. "Preferences: Neither Behavioural nor Mental," Departmental Working Papers 2017-05, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    6. Thiago Dumont Oliveira & Carlos Eduardo Suprinyak, 2018. "Of time, uncertainty, and policy-making : Lionel Robbins’ lost philosophy of political economy," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 580, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    7. Kaparulina Iryna M., 2013. "Essence and criteria of identification of an economic object," The Problems of Economy, RESEARCH CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS of NAS (KHARKIV, UKRAINE), issue 3, pages 247-253.
    8. Remig, Moritz C., 2017. "Structured pluralism in ecological economics — A reply to Peter Söderbaum's commentary," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 533-537.
    9. Vahabi, Mehrdad, 2012. "A Note on Backhouse and Medema: On Walras’ Contribution to the Definition of Economics," MPRA Paper 42673, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Teacu Parincu Alina Mirela & Capatina Alexandru & Varon David Juarez & Bennet Pablo Ferreiros & Recuerda Ana Mengual, 2020. "Neuromanagement: the scientific approach to contemporary management," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 14(1), pages 1046-1056, July.
    11. Rodrigo Laera, 2020. "El problema teleológico en la raíz del pensamiento económico," Ensayos de Economía 18305, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín.
    12. Li, Cheng, 2014. "Rationality and Beyond: A Critique of the Nature and Task of Economics," MPRA Paper 56651, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. M. Northrup Buechner, 2014. "A comment on scarcity," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 8(1), November.
    14. Antonio Magliulo, 2010. "The Austrian theory of relational goods," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 57(2), pages 143-162, June.
    15. Fatoumata Faye & Martine Audibert, 2022. "Ethical principles of renal therapy rationing in Senegal," Post-Print halshs-03680109, HAL.
    16. Stewart, Alex & Miner, Anne S., 2011. "The prospects for family business in research universities," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 3-14, March.
    17. Alves, C. & Guizzo, D., 2022. "Economic Theory and Policy Today: Lessons from Barbara Wootton and the Creation of the British Welfare State," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2246, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    18. repec:aly:journl:201936 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Frank Bailly, 2022. "When mainstream economics does human resource management: a critique of personnel economics' prescriptive ambition," PSL Quarterly Review, Economia civile, vol. 75(301), pages 103-117.
    20. Nicolás Cachanosky & Edward J. Lopez, 2020. "Rediscovering Buchanan’s rediscovery: non-market exchange versus antiseptic allocation," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 183(3), pages 461-477, June.
    21. Jo, Tae-Hee, 2016. "The Social Provisioning Process and Heterodox Economics," MPRA Paper 72384, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. D. Wade Hands, 2009. "Effective Tension in Robbins' Economic Methodology," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 76(s1), pages 831-844, October.
    2. Thiago Dumont Oliveira & Carlos Eduardo Suprinyak, 2016. "Lionel Robbins’ first-step individualism and the prehistory of microfoundations," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 537, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    3. Roger E. Backhouse & Steven G. Medema, 2009. "Retrospectives: On the Definition of Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 221-233, Winter.
    4. Cheng Li, 2019. "Morality and value neutrality in economics: a dualist view," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 12(2), pages 97-118, May.
    5. Roger Backhouse & Beatrice Cherrier, 2014. "Becoming Applied: The Transformation of Economics after 1970," Discussion Papers 14-11, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    6. Neil J. Smelser, 1992. "The Rational Choice Perspective," Rationality and Society, , vol. 4(4), pages 381-410, October.
    7. Stephen Martin, 2019. "The Kaldor–Hicks Potential Compensation Principle and the Constant Marginal Utility of Income," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 55(3), pages 493-513, November.
    8. Koppl, Roger & Whitman, Douglas Glen, 2004. "Rational-choice hermeneutics," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 295-317, November.
    9. Harnay, Sophie & Marciano, Alain, 2009. "Posner, Economics And The Law: From “Law And Economics” To An Economic Analysis Of Law," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(2), pages 215-232, June.
    10. R. Koppl, 2006. "Austrian economics at the cutting edge," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 19(4), pages 231-241, December.
    11. van Ours, Jan C. & Williams, Jenny & Ward, Shannon, 2015. "Bad Behavior: Delinquency, Arrest and Early School Leaving," CEPR Discussion Papers 10755, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Khalil, Umair, 2017. "Do more guns lead to more crime? Understanding the role of illegal firearms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 342-361.
    13. Colander, David, 2009. "What Was “It” That Robbins Was Defining?," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(4), pages 437-448, December.
    14. Patrick Arni & Rafael Lalive & Jan C. Van Ours, 2013. "How Effective Are Unemployment Benefit Sanctions? Looking Beyond Unemployment Exit," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 1153-1178, November.
    15. Dennis L. Gärtner, 2022. "Corporate Leniency in a Dynamic World: The Preemptive Push of an Uncertain Future," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 119-146, March.
    16. Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Chris Ryan & Ana Sartbayeva, 2009. "Taking Chances: The Effect of Growing Up on Welfare on the Risky Behaviour of Young People," CEPR Discussion Papers 604, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    17. Antonio Acconcia & Marcello D'Amato & Riccardo Martina, 2003. "Corruption and Tax Evasion with Competitive Bribes," CSEF Working Papers 112, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    18. J. K. Pappalardo, 2022. "Economics of Consumer Protection: Contributions and Challenges in Estimating Consumer Injury and Evaluating Consumer Protection Policy," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 201-238, June.
    19. M. Martin Boyer, 2007. "Resistance (to Fraud) Is Futile," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 74(2), pages 461-492, June.
    20. David Cayla, 2021. "Le « vivre-ensemble » face au projet néolibéral," Post-Print hal-02961194, HAL.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:76:y:2009:i:s1:p:805-820. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.