Evolution of economic thought

Many more might have been included, and one could argue persuasively that others should have been substituted for some who were included. In covering more than four hundred years of economic thought, many important figures necessarily had to be omitted. A vast multitude of actors parading across the stage provided here might be confusing, and most of the dramatis personae would necessarily have to be limited to bit parts. A kind of Malthusian overpopulation of historic figures presented in a single moderately sized volume could exhibit the erudition of the author but at the same time bewilder the reader. The stage has been rather sparsely peopled here so that each character can be seen and heard. The extensive quotations from original sources included in this book meant to serve two major purposes. First, they illustrate the ideas of major economic thinkers; second, they will hopefully whet the reader's appetite for more, so that he will turn to the original works to read further.