Saturday 14 May 2016

David Ruccio: Unilateral Pluralism in Economics.


David Ruccio (Professor of Economics, University of Notre Dame and a well-known Marxist) denounces that Alberto Paloni, senior lecturer of macroeconomics at the University of Glasgow and "expert in post-Keynesian theory, has been stopped from teaching a core degree module on macroeconomics".

Discontents with the current practice in university economics departments (i.e. "mainstream economists do all they can -- within their departments and in the wider discipline -- to make sure other approaches (often referred to as heterodox economics and, often, noneconomics) are displaced to (and, in many cases, beyond) the margins") have been demanding pluralism in economics education: that other schools of economic thought be given a fair go.

Ruccio is voicing that demand. I cannot but praise him for that and for coming to the defence of a post Keynesian colleague.

However, by the same token, I cannot but ask the reader: have you ever heard of a post Keynesian economist taking similar stance in defence of a Marxist colleague or of Marxism, in general?

Ever?

2 comments:

  1. Glad to see you back, Mpie.

    "have you ever heard of a post Keynesian economist taking similar instance in defence of a Marxist colleague or of Marxism, in general?"

    Thats a pretty good question. Id really love to see how many examples people come up with.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment, Anonymous, but I never said I was out of business, only that I was -- and still am -- going through some difficult times.

      Thats a pretty good question. Id really love to see how many examples people come up with.

      This might be an unfair guess, but I suspect the count shall be low. Like, really, really, really, low.

      PoKers demand pluralism in economics teaching for themselves exclusively. There is no reciprocity implied, no tit-for-tat. They reserve the right to deny others' demands for pluralism in economics teaching. It's their God-given prerogative.

      If you think about it, it's exactly the same thing with the bourgeois liberals and their liberal democracy: once their class interests are threatened, liberal democracy becomes a nicety they are ready to do without.

      It's not for nothing that, broadly speaking and with a few exceptions, PoKeism is vulgar.

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