ABSTRACT
Alfred Eichner (1937-88), of all American nonorthodox economists, has always appeared to me as the most American of all. In his arguments, in his attempts to rationalize factual observations, in his discussions with friends and opponents, one basic principle inspired all his judgments: adherence to reality. His guiding criterion, in accepting or rejecting proposed economic theories, has always been that of their effectiveness in explaining the actual working of American capitalism.
