Abstract:
This paper discusses the curent state of economics and ruminates about its future course. Conjectures are offered about developments in economics research and also about the evolution of the profession. The discipline will become increasingly diverse both in its subject matter and in its analytical approaches. Much of the advance in economics science will come from those fusing theory with data, yet there are powerful forces attracting economists away from this central ground and toward the wings of pure theory and pure data analysis. Copyright 1991 by Royal Economic Society.