Trautwein’s Challenge to the History of Economics

John Davis ()
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John Davis: Department of Economics Marquette University

No 2025-01, Working Papers and Research from Marquette University, Center for Global and Economic Studies and Department of Economics

Abstract: Hans-Michael Trautwein’s presidential address to the European Society raised provocative questions regarding the nature of current economics that should concern not just historians of economics but economists as well (Trautwein, 2017). Are the processes driving current research in economics creating a greater and greater specialization in subjects and economic thinking that is fragmenting and disunifying the field? Here I discuss Trautwein’s question and his answer to it particularly as bear on the future status and responsibilities of the history of economics as a field within economics. First, I give an account of what is involved in research specialization in science and economics. Second, I place increasing specialization in the subjects investigated in economics in an historical context, specifically, the postwar WWII history of the field. Third, I discuss Trautwein’s recommendations regarding a possible special, future role for the field of history of economics. Last, I offer praise for Trautwein for his perceptiveness and leadership as both an economist and historian of economics, and frame this in terms of what his insights can mean for thinking about the state of pluralism in economics.

Keywords: Trautwein; history economics; specialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B20 B31 B41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-pke
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