ABSTRACT
In the June 1962 issue of Business History Dr Barry E. Supple published an article 2 in which he made, en passant, some pertinent references to the rather infrequent use made by economic historians of economic theory. He went so far as to say that for most business historians the work of Schumpeter might never have been written, so little impact has it apparently made upon them. While agreeing with this general expression of opinion, it might be of further value if we were to particularise and examine Dr Supple’s statements with reference to certain concepts in economic theory of relevance to the business historian. We start, therefore, by accepting the criticism implicit in Dr Supple’s excellent article as valid and just.
