Keynes’ Discussion of Mill, Jevons and Marshall, and the Role of Economists

This paper considers the views held by John Maynard Keynes about the role of economists in light of his writings in The General Theory. It is possible, indeed, to explore the proposition of a relation between the principal arguments and thesis in Keynes’ writings and his convictions about the history of economic thought. It may be argued that Keynes made attempts to provide perspectives from the theory of the Ricardian Economics, including Mill and Marshall, among others. The General theory may be also viewed as a treatise reflective of the intellectual dispute with the orthodox school, which argues for the inherent ability of the economic system to adjust itself without external influence. In contrast, Jevons’ Theory of Political Economy constitutes a monographic contribution to deductive economics constructed on abstract assumptions. As a non-conformist, Jevons’ theoretical insights and arguments against the orthodoxy and Keynes regards his brief pamphlet as making much progress and marking a new stage in economic science.