ABSTRACT
The history of economic thought (HET) may help to enhance the ability to speak the same economic language, a necessary requisite of any scientific communication, with awareness of the variety and diversification in approaches to economic ideas and problems. Mainstream views of HET rely on a hidden assumption: a "cumulative view" according to which the provisional point of arrival of contemporary economics incorporates all previous contributions in an improved way. A contrary trend can be observed in HET courses offered to undergraduate students: according to the latest available data, the number of HET courses has increased by almost 75% in the last few years including courses held in economics departments. A new "renaissance" for HET could derive from a critical approach to research evaluation based on bibliometrics, highlighting the negative consequences poorly designed indicators can have, above all in terms of lack of pluralism and diversity.
