ABSTRACT

The impressive young scholar Bert Mosselmans, analyzing the theory and policy of Jevons, a major figure in the field of the history of economics, has put together a volume with broad international appeal, particularly in Europe, North America and Japan, that offers a synthetic approach to Jevons’ economic theory, applied economics and economic policy.

Adopting a relativist approach to his subject, Mosselmans focuses on all aspects of Jevons’ theory, tying the different strands together where appropriate and discriminating where necessary. Examining the relation between theory and practise he situates Jevons within the history of economic thought and in relation to his logic, ethics, religion and aesthetics.

Ideal for scholars working in the fields of philosophy and history as well as economics, this ambitious and insightful work offers a comprehensive analysis of one of the founding fathers of modern economic thought, whose work marked a new chapter in its history, bridging the gap between classical and neo-classical economics.

chapter |15 pages

Jevons and economics

Biography and overview 1

chapter |11 pages

Jevons and the history of economic thought

Deconstructing the Canon 11

chapter |11 pages

Jevons and statistics

Adolphe Quetelet and the average man 16

chapter |14 pages

Jevons and logic

The extent of meaning 39

chapter |11 pages

Jevons and institutions

Bridging the gap between theory and practice 44

chapter |20 pages

Jevons and religion

Unitarianism and evolutionism 49

chapter |22 pages

Jevons and music

Aping the upper class 70