The Historiography of Contemporary Economics

Although there are various books looking at the history of economics, the historiography of economics, or how we approach, write, think about, and talk about the history of economics, is a relatively unexamined topic. Most histories of economics run through "the canon" picking up idea after idea as the procession leads to the present time. This appears to be the case since most histories of economics are written by individuals socialized as economists who are interested in the historical antecedents of modern ideas. As historians would say, narratives constructed in this manner are over interpreted and under researched. E. Roy Weintraub's influential research is characterized by a self-consciousness about historiography, his individual approach to the subject serving as a touchstone for discussions on the history of economics. This new volume not only collects Weintraub's most controversial research, but knits together the various strands, extending and elaborating on his previous arguments. This book shows that there is a serious historiographic stance that is possible for historians of economics to consider and adopt. It includes a detailed bibliography and short guide to resources for historians of modern economics.