Joseph A.Schumpeter was one of the greatest economists of the twentieth
century. His History of Economic Analysis is perhaps the greatest contribution
to the history of economics, providing a magisterial account of the development
of the subject from Ancient Greece to the mid-twentieth century.
Schumpeter’s views on his predecessors have proved to be a constant source
of controversy. Here individual chapters examine such disparate questions as
Schumpeter’s apparent disregard for the American Institutionalises, his grudging
respect for Adam Smith, the perspicacity of his views on Quesnay, and his
preference for Walras over Pareto. Four chapters are devoted to the early
medieval schools, neglected in all of his writings. Schumpeter’s magnum opus
is related to the rest of his economic output, especially his views on money and
on methodology.
With contributions by leading historians of economics from six countries,
this volume analyses Schumpeter’s contribution to the history of economics,
considers its lasting significance, and uses it as a benchmark to assess the
current state of the field