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Textbooks in the Historiography of Recent Economics

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  • Giraud, Yann

    (Université de Cergy-Pontoise)

Abstract

Textbooks are both neglected and at times overused as objects in the history of economics. They are neglected because most historians, borrowing from Kuhn, tend to regard them as passive receptacles of past knowledge, yet they are also overused as shortcuts to study the state of economic doctrine at a certain point in time. Looking at the existing historical literature that studies or uses textbooks, this chapter shows how a better understanding of the specific pedagogical and institutional environments in which textbooks operate can help build thicker and more accurate histories of the role they have played, not just in disseminating, but also in creating and transforming economic knowledge.

Suggested Citation

  • Giraud, Yann, 2018. "Textbooks in the Historiography of Recent Economics," SocArXiv j9tkf, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:j9tkf
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/j9tkf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Harro Maas, 2014. "Making Things Technical: Samuelson at MIT," Center for the History of Political Economy Working Paper Series 2014-1, Center for the History of Political Economy.
    2. Mark Skousen, 1997. "The Perseverance of Paul Samuelson's Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 137-152, Spring.
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    6. Giraud, Yann B., 2010. "The Changing Place Of Visual Representation In Economics: Paul Samuelson Between Principle And Strategy, 1941–1955," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 175-197, June.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Thomas Delcey & Francesco Sergi, 2019. "The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Rational Expectations. How Did They Meet and Live (Happily?) Ever After," Working Papers hal-02187362, HAL.
    3. Thomas Delcey & Francesco Sergi, 2019. "The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Rational Expectations. How Did They Meet and Live (Happily?) Ever After," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-02187362, HAL.

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