The Character and Logical Method of Political Economy

John Elliott Cairnes (1823-1875) was an Irish economist. He is often described as the "last of the classical economists." In 1861, he was appointed to the professorship of jurisprudence and political economy in Queens College Galway, and in the following year he published his admirable work The Slave Power, one of the finest specimens of applied economical philosophy. The opinions expressed by Cairnes as to the probable issue of American Civil War were largely verified by the actual course of events. In 1866, he was appointed professor of political economy in University College, London. Taken as a whole, the works of Cairnes formed the most important contribution to economical science made by the English school since the publication of J. S. Mill's Principles. His other works include The Character and Logical Method of Political Economy (1861).