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

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  • 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
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    Cited by:

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    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.
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    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Rodrigo Laera, 2020. "El problema teleológico en la raíz del pensamiento económico," Ensayos de Economía 18305, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín.
    13. Li, Cheng, 2014. "Rationality and Beyond: A Critique of the Nature and Task of Economics," MPRA Paper 56651, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. Fatoumata Faye & Martine Audibert, 2022. "Ethical principles of renal therapy rationing in Senegal," Post-Print halshs-03680109, HAL.
    17. 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.
    18. 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.
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    22. Jo, Tae-Hee, 2016. "The Social Provisioning Process and Heterodox Economics," MPRA Paper 72384, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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