Abstract
The representation of Malthus as prime inspiration of John Maynard Keynes is unconvincing. First, the Treatise on Money rejected Say's law three years before the attention accorded Malthus for the Essays in Biography. Secondly, a concern with effective demand is apparent in lectures and correspondence early in 1932, again before the engagement with Malthus. Thirdly, Keynes's essay accords the savings-investment relationship of the Treatise at least equal status with effective demand when interpreting Malthus on unemployment and depression, whereas the General Theory interprets the same Malthus texts solely in terms of effective demand. That Keynes's approbation reflects his own theoretical stance - and the state of transition between stances - points distinctly away from Malthus as source. A selective approach is apparent also in his failure to call attention to conspicuous differences between his theoretical position and that of Malthus.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Elgar Companion to John Maynard Keynes |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. |
| Pages | 90-96 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781788118569 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781847200082 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance (all)
- Business, Management and Accounting (all)
