Rae and the Tradition of Scottish Political Economy

Citation

Dow A, Dow S, Hutton A & Keaney M (1998) Rae and the Tradition of Scottish Political Economy. In: Hamouda O, Lee C & Mair D (eds.) The Economics of John Rae. Routledge Studies in the History of Economics, 20. London: Routledge, pp. 245-260. https://www.routledge.com/The-Economics-of-John-Rae/Hamouda-Lee-Mair/p/book/9780415158671

Abstract
The purpose of the chapter is to investigate how far Rae is representative of the Scottish Political Economy Tradition, where tradition is understood in terms of continuity in a shared approach, allowing for theoretical differences. While Rae conforms to most features identified with the Scottish tradition, his opposition to Smith’s methodology suggests a divergence of approach which would put him outside the tradition. It is argued here that this divergence applies only to Rae’s professed methodology, not to his practice.

• 1998 john rae pre-publication.pdf