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On John Maynard Keynes’s Anti-Semitism Once Again. A documentary Note

Author

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  • Luca Fiorito

Abstract

This note presents new archival evidence about John Maynard Keynes’ attitudes toward Jews. The relevant material is composed of two letters sent by Robert G. Wertheimer to Bertrand Russell and Richard F. Kahn along with their replies. Between 1963 and 1964, Wertheimer – an Austrian-born Jewish immigrant then professor of economics at Babson College – wrote to Russell and Kahn asking for their personal reminiscences concerning Keynes’ anti-Semitic utterance. In their brief but still significant responses, both Russell and Kahn firmly denied any hint of anti-Semitism in Keynes, thereby providing significant first-hand testimonies from two of his closest acquaintances.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Fiorito, 2014. "On John Maynard Keynes’s Anti-Semitism Once Again. A documentary Note," Department of Economics University of Siena 697, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    • Handle: RePEc:usi:wpaper:697
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    File URL: http://repec.deps.unisi.it/quaderni/697.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. E. Roy Weintraub, 2012. "Keynesian Historiography and the Anti-Semitism Question," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 41-67, Spring.
    2. repec:hop:hopeec:12-02 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Blaug, Mark, 1994. "Recent Biographies of Keynes," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 32(3), pages 1204-1215, September.
    4. Melvin W. Reder, 2000. "The Anti-Semitism of Some Eminent Economists," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 32(4), pages 833-856, Winter.
    5. Samuelson, Paul A., 2009. "A few remembrances of Friedrich von Hayek (1899-1992)," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 1-4, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Anti-Semitism; Keynes; John M.; Kahn; Richard F.; Russell; Bertrand.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B00 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - General - - - History of Economic Thought, Methodology, and Heterodox Approaches
    • B31 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought: Individuals - - - Individuals
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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