Relations with J. M. Keynes

S. R. Dennison and John R. Presley
Additional contact information
S. R. Dennison: University of Hull
John R. Presley: Loughborough University

Chapter 3 in Robertson on Economic Policy, 1992, pp 33-55 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract When he returned to Cambridge in 1919, to his Fellowship at Trinity and a university lectureship, Robertson worked in close collaboration with Keynes until the early 1930s. This is well-documented, not only that almost everything each of them published contains a tribute to the other, but also in a number of commentaries on their work.1 Perhaps the outstanding case of the former is Banking Policy and the Price Level (1926) in the Preface of which Robertson wrote, ‘I have had so many discussions with Mr J. M. Keynes on the subject matter of chapters V and VI and have rewritten them so drastically at his suggestion, that I think neither of us now knows how much of the ideas therein contained is his and how much is mine’. In turn, Keynes wrote to Robertson on 10 November 1925 that he liked ‘the latest version though God knows it is concise’ and that Chapter V was ‘splendid — most new and important. I think it is substantially right and at last I have no material criticism. It is the kernel and real essence of the book.’ He went on, ‘It will be interesting to see whether anyone, and who, will when it is published see what you are driving at. You will be lucky if you get five understanding readers within two years, after that there will be lots.’ In the first comment Keynes was right, as shown by various reviews, not one of those now available showing any grasp of the argument.2 The second was too optimistic, as for over sixty years many economists have found it very hard going and confessed failure fully to understand.

Keywords: Price Level; Economic Journal; Chapter Versus; Building Society; Banking Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1992
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-349-12501-2_3

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.palgrave.com/9781349125012

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-12501-2_3

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Palgrave Macmillan Books from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().