ABSTRACT
I write a book, you come to question me. ANGEL. There’s nothing wrong in writing a book. There’s nothing wrong
in doing a TV series. But the way you do it! YouJKG. —commit the sin of pride. Don’t scold. I know what you’re going
to say. But consider the facts. ANGEL. I have considered the facts. The facts are that an economist is
offered thirteen hours of prime time. He has a rare opportunity to sing the praises of his profession. But he just says a few words about Smith, Marx, Keynes, maybe one or two others, and noth ing about Sismondi, Petty, Locke, Mill, Jevons, Menger, Wieser, Walras-
JKG. —which would bore people to tears. PleaseANGEL. Please nothing. You refuse to talk about them because you prefer
to talk about yourself. JKG. (Rises and strokes the angel’s wings.) Do calm yourself, Angelina, and
let me call for some tea. (Rings.) You angels must try to see things in proper perspective. Almost everything that needs to be said can be said by discussing Smith, Marx, and Keynes. Smith is like Aeneas, founder of the Roman dynasty. There were those who came before and those who came after. But when you have told the story of Aeneas’ travels from Troy to Italy, you have told all, especially if you tell it from the vantage of a later century as Virgil did. Aeneas was the center of a mythology; so is Smith. Those who believe myths don’t regard them as myths. They are all the more powerful for that. If you look at economics as mythology, you will see that I was right to stick to Smith.
