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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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    3. 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.
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    6. Thiago Dumont Oliveira & Carlos Eduardo Suprinyak, 2016. "Lionel Robbins’ first-step individualism and the prehistory of microfoundations," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 537, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
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