2 The Emergence of Heterodox Economics in Post-W：2出现异端经济学post-w.docVIP

 CONFERENCE OF SOCIALIST ECONOMISTS AND THE EMERGENCE OF HETERODOX ECONOMICS IN POST-WAR BRITAIN By Professor Frederic S. Lee University of Missouri-Kansas City July 2001 Department of Economics 211 Haag Hall University of Missouri-Kansas City 5100 Rockhill Road Kansas City, Missouri 64110 U.S.A. e-mail: leefs@ CONFERENCE OF SOCIALIST ECONOMISTS AND THE EMERGENCE OF HETERODOX ECONOMICS IN POST-WAR BRITAIN 1. Introduction The emergence of heterodox economics, that is a community of heterodox economists, in post-war Britain is the focus of this article. Thus it is concerned with those factors that lead individual economists to see themselves as supporting a body of theory that was antithetical to neoclassical economic theory and to partaking in social networks and institutions which were outside those which made up the community of neoclassical economists. The end result of the many personal journeys was the creation in 1970 of the Conference of Socialist Economists (CSE), Britain’s first post-war community of heterodox economists. The use of the term community is important in that it brings together both the body of ideas accepted by heterodox economists with the fact that the ideas are embedded in a social milieu. Thus members of the community both advocate the ideas and engage in social activities to ensure that they continue to be advocated independently of any individual member. The social milieu that supports and promotes a body of ideas consists of two social structures--social network and institutions--which have to be consciously constructed and maintained. In particular, the social network glues together the heterodox theory with its supporting institutions. Thus, the economists who are part of the social network interact both with the theory and the institutions in such a way that so as to create a community of heterodox economists. Although the article deals with the emergence of heterodox economics after 1945, it is important t