Introduction

The political economy of Robert Heilbroner is something of an enigma in the modern world of ‘technical’ economics. His writing is not littered with the usual scientific trappings of theorems, lemmas, propositions or paradoxes. Even the most casual inquiry into his work reveals his preference for elegant prose and his indifference to curves and functions. Heilbroner has spent years criticizing the reductionist theory of mainstream economics. He calls modern economic theory irrelevant, a veil, a theology and even the equivalent of ‘medieval scholasticism’. In spite of this criticism, he is universally respected by the very people he reproaches. The central body of conservative American economics, The American Economic Association, has even elected him to the influential advisory board for The Journal of Economic Perspectives. The profession buys his books by the thousands and lists his work on their syllabi around the world.