ABSTRACT
One reason which made Sidney Weintraub such a powerful force in economic thinking was his strongly motivated presentation of original and hard-hitting theoretical structures dealing with highly relevant issues. One may be surprised, convinced or provoked, but one cannot easily ignore his ‘attacks’. This is amply proved by the many discussions which his various publications have elicited. It also became visible when he returned to one of his age-old pet subjects, income distribution, round about 1980. After some preparatory thoughts in related writings (Weintraub 1978; 1979) he brought various strands of his thinking together in an ‘Eclectic Theory of Income Shares’ (1981). Within a short time the article met with a considerable echo.1 His views were subjected to various remarks, extensions and criticisms. The present article is written in the same spirit: to take up the challenge of Weintraub’s views and to discuss some of the points which are raised by his essay.
