On Keynes S Method

Economists have traditionally regarded "Treatise On Probability" by Keynes as an anomaly amongst his published writings. This volume attempts to fix "Probability" firmly in its early 20th century philosophical setting and to link its concerns to a lifetimes' work as an economist.

Economists have traditionally regarded "Treatise On Probability" by Keynes as an anomaly amongst his published writings. This volume attempts to fix "Probability" firmly in its early 20th century philosophical setting and to link its concerns to a lifetimes' work as an economist.

Methodological practice is at the heart of divisions between schools of macroeconomic thought. Jesper Jespersen s book explains why and precisely how, and gives the reader the insight to choose between rival approaches. His own inspiration comes from Critical Realism and Popper s Three World analysis, with Keynes as the main exponent of a realist approach. The starting point of realist theory is a view of how the world is, rather than axioms, and the test is whether the theory can make, as Jespersen puts it, the round trip back to reality , to give practical guidance to policy. This is only the focal point of a rich and attractive canvas. How I wish this book had been available when I taught methodology! And how I wish economists from all schools of thought would read it! Victoria Chick, University College London, UK This welcome volume by Jesper Jespersen offers an up-to-date realist approach to macroeconomics, drawing on recent developments in methodology, notably critical realism, as well as earlier Popperian ideas. He shows how economics in the Post-Keynesian tradition, using this approach, can address the important macro policy issues, and sets out a seven-point agenda for future theory development. This book provides an important launching-off point for addressing macroeconomic questions without the need for the abstractions as narrowly rational representative agents. Rather Jespersen explores the interdependencies between the macro and micro levels in real economic processes under conditions of uncertain knowledge. Sheila Dow, University of Stirling, UK Jesper Jespersen presents a treatise on the importance of the choice of methodology within macroeconomics. Given that no scientifically based macroeconomic policy recommendation should be established without an evaluation of the methods employed, this book gives a clear exposition of how proper macroeconomic analysis should be undertaken. Furthermore, it is convincingly argued that one of the lasting contributions of John Maynard Keynes was his emphasis on methodology; that macroeconomic consequences of uncertainty could not be analysed within the established general equilibrium framework. It is due to post-Keynesian economics supported by critical realism that the understanding of Keynes s methodology has been resurrected, which has eventually resulted in renewed debate on realistic macroeconomic policies to restore full employment without inflation. Macroeconomic Methodology is an inquiry into the question of how to conduct a proper scientific analysis of uncertainty within macroeconomics. It will be of great interest to scholars of the philosophy of social sciences and methodology, as well as post-Keynesian and heterodox economists.

This book was originally published by Macmillan in 1936. It was voted the top Academic Book that Shaped Modern Britain by Academic Book Week (UK) in 2017, and in 2011 was placed on Time Magazine's top 100 non-fiction books written in English since 1923. Reissued with a fresh Introduction by the Nobel-prize winner Paul Krugman and a new Afterword by Keynes’ biographer Robert Skidelsky, this important work is made available to a new generation. The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money transformed economics and changed the face of modern macroeconomics. Keynes’ argument is based on the idea that the level of employment is not determined by the price of labour, but by the spending of money. It gave way to an entirely new approach where employment, inflation and the market economy are concerned. Highly provocative at its time of publication, this book and Keynes’ theories continue to remain the subject of much support and praise, criticism and debate. Economists at any stage in their career will enjoy revisiting this treatise and observing the relevance of Keynes’ work in today’s contemporary climate.

In these twelve essays, spanning fifteen years, Victoria Chick develops a distinctive view of macroeconomics (especially the economics of Keynes) and monetary theory. By careful and rigorous analysis in which nothing is taken for granted, she uncovers the implicit assumptions of economic theory and argues, in a variety of contexts, that differences of economic method and the influence of the stylised facts are decisive forces, both in the construction of theories and in appraising their contemporary relevance.

This volume concentrates on contemporary Post-Keynesian contributions in money, method and economic policy. Post-Keynesian economics shares with Keynes the ambition of understanding the economy as a whole and as an integrated part of society. The book begins by analysing money, banks and finance as dynamic phenomena, followed by chapters focusing on methodological themes such as uncertainty, longer-term issues, sustainability and other non-monetary economic activities.

“Mr. Wasik’s distillation of how Keynes made--and then remade--his fortune is instructive. And the principles that Keynes followed have stood the test of time. As Mr. Wasik adds, 'The object of investing is to ensure prosperity, not to become obsessed with making money.'" The New York Times John Maynard Keynes indelibly made his mark on global economics... Few people know, however, that he was also a daring, steel-nerved investor who built a multimilliondollar fortune in the stock market while providing financial counsel to the likes of Winston Churchill and FDR. Now, you can learn from--and imitate--Keynes's success by examining the story of his lifeand investment strategies, masterfully told by awardwinning author John F. Wasik. As you follow Keynes from his early years with the Bloomsbury Group, through two world wars and the Great Depression Keynes's theories and practices come to life by way of the historic and personal events that shaped them. Like today's investors, Keynes faced markets roiled by panic, inflation, deflation, widespread unemployment, and war--and he developed a core set of principles to prosper in every climate. With the individual investor in mind, this straightforward guide makes it easy for investors at all levels to implement the action-oriented strategies presented in each of the 10 chapters and start investing like Keynes today by: Buying and holding quality stocks Ignoring short-term news Building diversified portfolios Trading contrary to market momentum Getting the most out of dividend stocks Using the eloquent insight of a seasoned investment writer, author John F. Wasik digs down into what investments Keynes owned, how he bought and sold them, how his theories guided his investments, and vice versa. He illustrates why Keynes's ideas, insights, and portfolio strategies have withstood the test of time, and how they will continue to produce financial gains for dedicated investors. In a nutshell, Wasik delivers a pragmatic guide to the style of portfolio management practiced by such Keynes followers as Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, and Charles Munger. The smart money gets richer in all types of weather, and so can you by following Keynes's Way to Wealth. PRAISE FOR KEYNES'S WAY TO WEALTH: "Intelligent investing ultimately depends on having an intelligent theory of the economy. This story of Keynes's life as an investor illustrates this beautifully." -- Robert Shiller, professor of Economics, Yale University; New York Times columnist; and author of Finance and the Good Society "The great economist John Maynard Keynes speculated and lost big-time. Out of the ashes, he evolved some great long-term investment strategies that will work for every prudent investor. While picking up tips, you'll also find that this book is a great read." -- Jane Bryant Quinn, author of Making the Most of Your Money NOW "I'd always heard Keynes was a talented investor but never knew any of the details. John Wasik's excellent book uncovers that story and reveals Keynes's considerable investing skills. If you enjoy studying great investors, add this book to your list." -- Joe Mansueto, founder and CEO, Morningstar, Inc. "With the possible exception of Mark Twain, no one surpasses John Maynard Keynes as a source of pithy financial wisdom and sayings. Keynes’s Way to Wealth mines the reasoning and investment experiences behind his quotability, a bounty that will simultaneously edify, entertain, and augment your bottom line." -- William J. Bernstein, author and principal, Efficient Frontier Advisors

ÔAt a time of renewed interest in Keynes, this volume provides an illuminating and forward-looking collection of papers. They explain the meaning of KeynesÕs great contribution and also show how that contribution can be developed further for application to modern economic policy issues. Most important, the papers explain the ways in which KeynesÕs methodological approach is so different from that which continues to dominate mainstream economics and how productive it would be if that approach were applied to our modern experience.Õ Ð Sheila Dow, University of Stirling, UK ÔThis book celebrates the 75th anniversary of KeynesÕs General Theory, which has proved yet again to be an endless source of inspiration. These authors take The General Theory as a point of departure from which to address the problems of today from fresh perspectives. This volume is indeed Keynes for today Ð and tomorrow.Õ Ð Victoria Chick, University College London, UK ÔKeynesÕs General Theory for Today is a fine set of thoughtful and highly relevant essays. They relate several ideas of Keynes to todayÕs happenings, putting forward modifications and extensions to take into account both short-term and long-term happenings in advanced capitalist economies. Especially useful are the investigations of KeynesÕs revolutionary methods of reasoning in economics, long abandoned by orthodox economists, to the great detriment of our understanding of what is happening and what may be done about it. These essays should be required reading for students, teachers and policy makers alike.Õ Ð G.C. Harcourt, University of New South Wales, Australia The themes of this important new volume were chosen to mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. The distinguished authors concentrate on the relevance of this seminal publication for macroeconomic theory, method and the politics of today. This is particularly pertinent as similarities with the 1930s are striking in terms of unemployment, low growth, financial fragility and the European monetary union resembling the gold standard. Illustrating new ways of understanding the importance of uncertainty in macroeconomics, particularly in view of the importance of finance and balance of payments imbalances within a monetary union, this book will prove a stimulating and challenging read for academics, researchers and students of macroeconomics, heterodox economics, and the methodology and history of economic thought.