Keynes and the Bastards

[Rakesh Bhandari]

Jim H noted:
>
>The philosophical outlook that they came up with was one that was
>sceptical to all such dogmas, framed by the philosopher GE Moore, of
>whom, Keynes says, that where students these days are impressed by Marx,
>his guru was GE Moore (in My Early Beliefs).

yes there is a very readable and enjoyable study of Keynes by Piero Mini
who discusses the importance of Moore; most impressive is Mini's
reconstruction of Keynes' critique of  economics as a modern form of
Platonism.

What I had in mind was Keynes' early influences but his infamous chapter 22
where as Skidelsky notes he endorsed the anti usury ideas of medieval
schoolman, found fragments of wisdom in the mercantalist obsession with
accumulating precious metals (interpreted as an attempt to drive the rate
of interest down), commended Mandeville and Malthus for extragavant
consumption, honored Gesell for the proposal of stamping money and enrolled
Major Douglas in "the brave army of heretics". Harrod deplored the chapter
as a "tendentious attempt to glorify imbeciles."


>From Robt Skidelsky, John Maynard Keynes: Economist As Savior. p,569

rb