Evolutionary Change and Marshall's Abandoned Second Volume

L. S. Moss

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2010, vol. 69, issue 1, 359-374

Abstract: It is well known how in his later years, Alfred Marshall became less enamored with equilibrium methods of reasoning in economics and advocated instead the study of [evolutionary] biology. Some have alleged that Marshall's change of heart is what led him to abandon the project of preparing the second volume of his Principles of Economics. In this paper I deny that it was Marshall's commitment to evolutionary biology that held back volume 2. Rather, it may have been his stubborn commitment to a particular variant of evolutionary biology (that is, Spencer's version of evolutionary biology) that blinded him to the way a more far reaching synthesis of Darwinian and equilibrium notions might have been accomplished. The application of the modern biological synthesis might have enriched some of Marshall's earlier equilibrium notions such as the “representative firm”. Résumé. Il est bien connu que, dans ses vieux jours, Alfred Marshall devint moins amouraché des méthodes de raisonnement de l'équilibre en économique et préconisait à la place 1'étude de la biologie (évolutionniste). Certains ont allégué que c'est ce changement de noyau qui a conduit Marshall à abandonner son projet de préparation d'un second volume de ses Principes. Cet article dénie que ce soit son engagement dans la biologie évolutionniste qui empêcha le volume 2. Il se pourrait bien plutôt que ce soit son engagement têtu dans une variante particulière de la biologie évolutionniste (c'est‐à‐dire, la version de Spencer) qui lui ait bouché la voie d'une synthèse de plus longue portée entre les notions de l'équilibre et de Darwin. L'application de la synthèse biologique moderne aurait pu enrichir certaines des notions de l'équilibre initial de Marshall telles que celle de “firme représentative”.

Date: 2010
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