Keynes's Philosophical Development

Description

In this compelling book, John B. Davis examines the change and development in Keynes's philosophical thinking, from his earliest work through to The General Theory, arguing that Keynes came to believe himself mistaken about a number of his early philosophical concepts. The author begins by looking at the unpublished 'Apostles' papers, written under the influence of the philosopher G. E. Moore. These display the tensions in Keynes's early philosophical views, and outline his philosophical concepts of the time, including the concept of intuition. Davis then shows how Keynes's later philosophy is implicit in the economic argument of The General Theory. He argues that Keynes's philosophy had by this time changed radically, and that he had abandoned the concept of intuition for the concept of convention. The author sees this as being the central idea in The General Theory, and looks at the philosophical nature of this concept of convention in detail.

"[Davis] has moved the debate over Keynes's philosophical economics to a new level...[A] provocative and coherent explanation of the development of Keynes's philosophy...demonstrating the importance of convention in his thought." Review of Radical Political Economy "...this volume belongs on the shelves of those who wish to know the full story of Keynes's philosophical trajectory." Journal of Economic Literature "...excellent, original...historians of economic thought and methodologies will be interested in the fact that Davis has unearthed a neglected category, convention, which has the potential to reconcile a number of conundrums within Keyne's work..." The Southern Economic Journal "... (Davis's) book makes a valuable, scholarly contribution to understanding the evolution of Keynes's philosophical views." History of Political Economy "Davis makes his case with care and thoroughness...Where evidence is available, such as Keynes's early unpublished Apsotles papers and/or contemporary philosophical debates, Davis treats it with respect and meticulous attention." Robert W. Dimand, History of Political Economy