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D.M. Bensusari-Butt., On Economic Man (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1978) pp VIII, 187, Price not listed.
67
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
D.'\!. Bcnsus;m-Butl, On h:onomi<: ~I:ln (C:mbCrJ'a: Australian Natioll
Unil'("rsitr of Queensland TIlis ;lutohiographical essay cvol;('d a sellS(' of sadness in -e, ,Ion)' ad.nIW!('dg.. nt fro.
~('YII(,S
for contributing to hIS (;en('rnl Th('or)'
is dcs('rving of respect for tll(' recipient.
1 Canllot accord the author
of this e>lsay a:1Y gl'Cater 1'('SpCct th:m tlwt ucscrved by good intentions k·hich fail.
For h·cll intentioned as he i.s in sceking to dispose of the
myth of L:ronomk
~lall
and sketch an outlinl' of a DIOde I of economic
IlS)'d10logy to allow econolJics to serve as one of the beh:lviour.. 1 sciences and not "be co.' conte ... inOUll "'ith econo.ctrics" fro....hich "the hu.an .ind "'oulll be excluded"· (p. 1521 bis \'enture to change the course of this history is doomelJ.
The ne... economic Ilsychology Of OIaplers 7 and
8 is all implied replacement of 'the psychology of [conomic
~Ian
(first)
provideJ hy Bcntham' (p, 12S) ;1I11l b:1Sed on the IIlCasul'ability of pleasure and pain (Il. 117), n culculus (p. 142) by each individual and society aimed at .;lxi.ising net utility flo"'s (po 162). Ri<:ardo the originntor of Econo.ic
~Iml
\\hile he pronounces
lind depart:> fro. the traditiol1
...hich ,lssi)tllS this dubious honour to Ad:... S.ith he Ile\'el·thele5s cont('nds that EconOlllic .\1,1n is only an illlllicit presupposition in Ricardo's I'r'indplcs (p.
124),
1I0...· evel·, loIhen one considcl'S his six c;ltegories
and three' :>ub-r,ltegol'ies of knOlolledge derived from 'the ultimate p:lniclcs of cronomic psychOlogy, the atoms of consciousness' (pp. 8<1 ff). the \·ery terms chosen for the c,uegories such as primary and secondary ~nO"'ledge,
h..hi tua I 'lctS. i.age:>. constanc}' or stabi I i ty over a succession
of tia" UllliS. DOtlves and "':UllS ;IS 'springs of adion' cannOI help but remind:l l'Clldl'r even slightl)' fa.iliar "'ith lIohbes, l.ocke and lIuDIC's :lC~·Ollllts
of
~man 1I1idel'st:lIHlin~:
th:!l ...·hat
l~nSllS'ln-Blltt
I\ellth:llll r,nher lH'longs to lhcSl' 11lO1'C hCl'oic figUl'CS.
,lttributes to
If, ,IS I belicve,
Ilent h,l" I S but a 1111 nor I'rol'agilndi st of th(' Ilohhese:m hellon 151 i c psychology, the
~'(>ur>lc
Ilcnsusan-Butt 1'l'Oposes in ordl'r to save economics fro. the
aindles .. fILII'suil of econo-etrics and .... le It :l'beh:n'iour:ll Science relying on "gC'nulnc psychologic;11 invl'stigalion" ,Uld "sf,ecul,ltion:l" but not on psychoml"tl'ics of 'ellll>r;leing freudians, Jungi:IIlS, Iixistentialists, 01" ;.ny othel' school of haz)' Ollllliscicnce' c1se.,;hcrc) he is lIK'I'cly He ...· ould have to
IJrOVC
~'Jothing
Economic
~larxislS
(Pl'. lSI, 154, ISS, 175 and ~l;lll
in :l morc II'cndy suit.
both tlwt the genuine psychological investigations
arc what he asserts for the. ,,'hi Ie rCllIOving the haze fro. their olll1iscience;
68
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
(lIld ulsa that the inve~tigations ('fe not thelDsel\es <.Iedv:ltive:> from Hobbe:>':> initial
<.Ii~COVl,>I")"
of the ne", psyd,ology.
lie "'"0111<.1 thefeby
a(,'O:0Illl) I , sh "'hat Hobbes an<.l his successors h(II'e in Bcnsu:.an-But t' s illpl'e<.l ev:d U:Jt ion not successfully <.lone, lla-ely replace the cO.wJllscnse psychology of I\.-istot Ie. (1)his essay starte<.l ~ith the intention of
confe~sion
is illustrated by the parallel convers,on of Alexan<.ler
llcr:en froll an c;,rly faith in licgeli:ll1isll. Ilow can anyone hil to understand such a sillflle idea as. for instance, "that the soul is i~rtal ;lIld th"t "'h"t perishes is only the personality ..•. ; or the still si ..)ler truth that the absolute spirit is a personality, conscious of itself through the ,",orld?" (p" 118). If the extre-ely cOllplic3ted and el;,bor:lle philosophy of history devisl.'U by llegel is really such a siJlll1le idea, "'hat :lll:I\Ogy II:'Y be
lf his disenchllnt-enl "'ith I;conoaic
~1:111 ':O~l:'res ..-ith llen:en's tliscnchantllCnt with Itegeli:lllism, ""hut :IPllC
so complic:lled IlI11St he in "eulity but a si.plc i<.le:l.
lI000'CVel' as ller:en
tlidn't (prC:>llm"bly) reject the simple i<.lea he must IHive ..ejected the method b)' ..:liich it .."as allegedly [' ..ovcn.
Ill-n.:c KellSlIS;tn·Butt is not
l'cjc.,;ting Econon,ic M;m b"t by his ne..' genuine e..:onomic psychology mal.int: him less ";1bsunJ" ;lI1d
1IlO1~
"rc;tlistic" (pp. 151,175, 177).
COllllllenting on "Some lIecent lJi~l'lIssions of E..:onomic ~Iilll" .."hich apl'carcd '''lllril'g the yeJr (197(j) in ,,"hich this css;')" "":IS being
l1lulI~,led
ove,' hy
puhlishcl'';'' Bensusan-Ilutt offcrs his eOllllllents ,,"ith his "superego 5tnlg!:lillg to l"Ont-lin a revoJting id" ll'p"
181, viiil.
of Ihc illlcl'mcdi:lte ego ..'e :11'1:' lcrt to spcc~II:lte"
I"h"t heCHmc
I!U""l'I't'I' if the id
is the h:,:y I',"eudiall counterpart of the :,toms of I's)'..:holol:)"
the
ul t imatc l"ll"t ic lcs of cconomi c PS)'dl0 lo!:y, till' SllI'CI'-C~O, I rauscend i ng the ':ollscious ego, he",':> :' strollg ,·cs<.'lIIhluncc to 11ll' IW:lr-omll,scicnt if not fully omnis..:icnt, ration:'l I.cono,"j~· ,11:In of 1';,,'1 II, "ho despite his oJWliso:ience "cannot I.no.." in :uJVilll":C .. h"t (Iw) ,,"ould do in situations utte .. ly
unli~e
those in .. h,.:h (he} finds (himsclf)" ". 12.
n,ese
69
Economic Analysis and Policy
":i'c31'-Omnlscienl
~k:n"
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
of l'art II :Ire 'selfish, calculating and ..'cll-
inforlJl('d', I\el'fe.:tly malh'ahle (unifOI'm in intelligence) 1O0 lh"t the)' c,m
In~taT1tancOllslr
"H.lapt themselvC's to flny pmtluctivc economic
llctivit)' and move theltlselves to ,IllY place and fr;lgm('nt themsC'lves into any .JiffeITnti,,1 to achiC'vC' conrinuil)' ;l1ld ,Ihsence of lumpiness in the eleg,Hlt supply ,lIld delllilnd CUI'I'("S (pp, II ffJ.
lIence the genuine
ps)'chology gr:lftl'd onto I:conO.le N:m .. i II serve to .... ]..c hi. e\'en more o .... isclent th.. n his earlier .ad:>l, bec,lUs(> (>cono.ic ['s)'cholog)' "'ill co.,ine with positive ccono"I\::50, no""rilre, mol'al 01' ethic,ll crit("ria of fn'e choice.
II ""ill collll';ne ;1 "falth tlwt evellts arc J("t("r.in:lte"
""ith cthies "'-hich "postlilatl's ffl'e ..';11: .. , a scil'lICC of tlw critcl'i,1 of free l'hoiec" (p,
159),
'Ill" pn)posC'd hehilviolll'al s'cicnc(' of ccollomil's
... ill he;, tletl'rminate sc;ene,' of fl'C'l'-,dll 01' dlOiCl'!
S\JCh l'ont l'aJi(t Ions
lIhollnd in this C55,ly ""hich [hc ,\uthor (l'pe,lledly I'efers to ,IS a "0r].. of "spccul:ll ions" ""h;ch he admits (p, 172)
"1'('
th(' equi\,;l1ent of guesses.
1I0,"<'v("r, in Ihe I'reface (p. l'lli) he obs<.'l'\·(",j Ih:1t h<.' '.cdit;ttcd,md "'rou' the boo]..' ""hill' hl' s("rvl"d as ,I proft'ssorial (ello\{:lt
t\.~.U,'
'I posltlOIl
hl" h("ltl, so Ihl' hiogr,lphica! infor..atioll suppli<.'t1 infor.l' the r(":ld("r. fmlll 19(,2-1!175.
The appointllll'nt accordeu, in thl' .ast congenial
Slll'l'OlIlHlingl'. riChts of long-continued :lnd lIn,listurbed cOl\tl'mplat ion', Specula! i ve guesses th(' product of 'TlC'tlit:'(l.'d contl'wplat ion do impl)' reflectivl.'. discu,'siv(" argufll('nt.
It is rcgl'CtI;lblc that llcnsllsall-Bull'"
;,d.il·ahlc iconoclastic IIurl'0S(" was d("stined to fail bcC;lUSl' of his lilllilCd illtl"l!('CTlIal I'(,,""pt'("tiv<' which confin("dc.:-ono.ic aan :lnd his IIsyc-hology vII·tllally tc> th(" laH non hundrt'J y<':lrs teh;IIIter H), t)n<,
coincidence ""a'< ..-hi.sic-ally Ironic.
hoo~ ~'orr(,,"poIlJs
"'fltlllg til('
"riling of Til" lJis,'oursl's and TI,l' l'rlIlCC', "~'t'lll'nlill"
,'lio one pI'i:lsctl
"'isdorn III<.Il'e highly than did B"I:()II.
fo,,"d,'1' of 'nQd"r'lit)"
Th(" pl'rlod spend on
10 th(' titll(" tradition ,Issigns to Machiavelli's
It ,,'as
~lachial'('lli's
~Iachinv("lli,
the
h'ho lihl'I':lteJ m'Jll]"inJ fro,m the t)'l'mmy of the
'chool'I\l'n (,md thl'i" dll"l ;u,thorities 'l1,e Ilihl{' "nd SocI',ltic philosophy). Il.cnsll":UI-llutt 1"lradoxic;llly Ill.enS hi.self to lIacon, the pr;liscl' of Irl"lchia\'f'lli.
For hi •. tht, (,,·"lIn.;sts and the <'cono. . tl'i<;i'lIls' science
of ..m'l' I\('h"viollr "'ithout any. . .n (pI" "'l'n' tn Ilnrnn (". r"nnOlDil'
~1:I1l
h'ho thruugh
17R).
173, 175) an.' "'hat the School ..n
11,(" :IJh("I'("nt" of the
"hsurdlr, unrealistic'
fl'l' , 1:'1, 175. 177) arc the IDOdl'rn countel'J>;ll't of those lIihli~,11
l'ev("lntioll ,1IlU
h'i~Hlom
,lIlll/01' Socr"tie philosoph)'
Economic Analysis and Policy
70
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
tried to articulate a coherent
unJcrstanJin~ of
to "'Iwt fOJ" lIencll bC<:
:L
simple ide;I,
the COSIllOS by I'eferencc ~lan's
hllln.;lllitr cOlllJ
OJl]Y be unJerstood by appcal to SOllll' tr;1I1scclldent,11 stiperhUIII;11l SUPPOl't, ~lan
being the cre:Hurc enJOI,ed hith reason and limited lor it being a
faculty could oilly ,Ispirc to;1 life of contelRJll;ltion "here he coulll asl.. questiol1s silllilar to that ,",hith to hi. out of the burning bush.
~Ioscs
addressed to CoJ .. hen lie spoke
111<' pllliosophcr, uncncullbcred by the
congen ia 1 surroundings of A\U, un like tht' prophet, can nC,",CI' kno,", c,",en Cod's OIn:>"'er to
~Ioscs,
IN alone ho..· to perfect nC;lr-Ollllliscient ;lIld
inFinitcly malleable ,In
~I,IIl,
Sensus,1I1-Butt
lie usc:> the sl'conu p
reminiscent of Smith's paroJy
of it in the th'O celebrated accounts of the
mysterious "'orldngs of the invisible Iwn
1111.' invisible
hOlnd being the &;Uil ex f'ue;JiJI;;; throuRh ,",hich the 1;1"'s of supply ;II1U de"llld oper:ltc converts priv,lle :lv:Il'iciou:>ness Illte the IIUblic intcre!'t. By serving
.a~'
the
II0St-~\;I~'hi:IV"lli;1tI or
"'hidl belongs in this ,",arid, is att;lin:lble
Ilohhese:ln justice, ;. goo
;tli ..n.
The Invisible
hanlhle cOllfribulioll to the geller;ltions ,,'isel' tiwil lhc child)'!.'1l of li}:hf ,,'ho hear ,llld lire I'ersu,,
'111e rcviscu IllOdrl of El'Onomic
~kln
l"l'nJel'rd I'0s"ihlr:-
by his proposed psycholORical invcst ig;.tions "ould not 'ulul'h affcl'! the l'eSultl1111 of the u:>u;,] forces of supply :lIla de ... ntJ' (p, 1801_
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
D.'\!. Bcnsus;m-Butl, On h:onomi<: ~I:ln (C:mbCrJ'a: Australian Natioll
Unil'("rsitr of Queensland TIlis ;lutohiographical essay cvol;('d a sellS(' of sadness in -e, ,Ion)' ad.nIW!('dg.. nt fro.
~('YII(,S
for contributing to hIS (;en('rnl Th('or)'
is dcs('rving of respect for tll(' recipient.
1 Canllot accord the author
of this e>lsay a:1Y gl'Cater 1'('SpCct th:m tlwt ucscrved by good intentions k·hich fail.
For h·cll intentioned as he i.s in sceking to dispose of the
myth of L:ronomk
~lall
and sketch an outlinl' of a DIOde I of economic
IlS)'d10logy to allow econolJics to serve as one of the beh:lviour.. 1 sciences and not "be co.' conte ... inOUll "'ith econo.ctrics" fro....hich "the hu.an .ind "'oulll be excluded"· (p. 1521 bis \'enture to change the course of this history is doomelJ.
The ne... economic Ilsychology Of OIaplers 7 and
8 is all implied replacement of 'the psychology of [conomic
~Ian
(first)
provideJ hy Bcntham' (p, 12S) ;1I11l b:1Sed on the IIlCasul'ability of pleasure and pain (Il. 117), n culculus (p. 142) by each individual and society aimed at .;lxi.ising net utility flo"'s (po 162). Ri<:ardo the originntor of Econo.ic
~Iml
\\hile he pronounces
lind depart:> fro. the traditiol1
...hich ,lssi)tllS this dubious honour to Ad:... S.ith he Ile\'el·thele5s cont('nds that EconOlllic .\1,1n is only an illlllicit presupposition in Ricardo's I'r'indplcs (p.
124),
1I0...· evel·, loIhen one considcl'S his six c;ltegories
and three' :>ub-r,ltegol'ies of knOlolledge derived from 'the ultimate p:lniclcs of cronomic psychOlogy, the atoms of consciousness' (pp. 8<1 ff). the \·ery terms chosen for the c,uegories such as primary and secondary ~nO"'ledge,
h..hi tua I 'lctS. i.age:>. constanc}' or stabi I i ty over a succession
of tia" UllliS. DOtlves and "':UllS ;IS 'springs of adion' cannOI help but remind:l l'Clldl'r even slightl)' fa.iliar "'ith lIohbes, l.ocke and lIuDIC's :lC~·Ollllts
of
~man 1I1idel'st:lIHlin~:
th:!l ...·hat
l~nSllS'ln-Blltt
I\ellth:llll r,nher lH'longs to lhcSl' 11lO1'C hCl'oic figUl'CS.
,lttributes to
If, ,IS I belicve,
Ilent h,l" I S but a 1111 nor I'rol'agilndi st of th(' Ilohhese:m hellon 151 i c psychology, the
~'(>ur>lc
Ilcnsusan-Butt 1'l'Oposes in ordl'r to save economics fro. the
aindles .. fILII'suil of econo-etrics and .... le It :l'beh:n'iour:ll Science relying on "gC'nulnc psychologic;11 invl'stigalion" ,Uld "sf,ecul,ltion:l" but not on psychoml"tl'ics of 'ellll>r;leing freudians, Jungi:IIlS, Iixistentialists, 01" ;.ny othel' school of haz)' Ollllliscicnce' c1se.,;hcrc) he is lIK'I'cly He ...· ould have to
IJrOVC
~'Jothing
Economic
~larxislS
(Pl'. lSI, 154, ISS, 175 and ~l;lll
in :l morc II'cndy suit.
both tlwt the genuine psychological investigations
arc what he asserts for the. ,,'hi Ie rCllIOving the haze fro. their olll1iscience;
68
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
(lIld ulsa that the inve~tigations ('fe not thelDsel\es <.Iedv:ltive:> from Hobbe:>':> initial
<.Ii~COVl,>I")"
of the ne", psyd,ology.
lie "'"0111<.1 thefeby
a(,'O:0Illl) I , sh "'hat Hobbes an<.l his successors h(II'e in Bcnsu:.an-But t' s illpl'e<.l ev:d U:Jt ion not successfully <.lone, lla-ely replace the cO.wJllscnse psychology of I\.-istot Ie. (1)his essay starte<.l ~ith the intention of
confe~sion
is illustrated by the parallel convers,on of Alexan<.ler
llcr:en froll an c;,rly faith in licgeli:ll1isll. Ilow can anyone hil to understand such a sillflle idea as. for instance, "that the soul is i~rtal ;lIld th"t "'h"t perishes is only the personality ..•. ; or the still si ..)ler truth that the absolute spirit is a personality, conscious of itself through the ,",orld?" (p" 118). If the extre-ely cOllplic3ted and el;,bor:lle philosophy of history devisl.'U by llegel is really such a siJlll1le idea, "'hat :lll:I\Ogy II:'Y be
lf his disenchllnt-enl "'ith I;conoaic
~1:111 ':O~l:'res ..-ith llen:en's tliscnchantllCnt with Itegeli:lllism, ""hut :IPllC
so complic:lled IlI11St he in "eulity but a si.plc i<.le:l.
lI000'CVel' as ller:en
tlidn't (prC:>llm"bly) reject the simple i<.lea he must IHive ..ejected the method b)' ..:liich it .."as allegedly [' ..ovcn.
Ill-n.:c KellSlIS;tn·Butt is not
l'cjc.,;ting Econon,ic M;m b"t by his ne..' genuine e..:onomic psychology mal.int: him less ";1bsunJ" ;lI1d
1IlO1~
"rc;tlistic" (pp. 151,175, 177).
COllllllenting on "Some lIecent lJi~l'lIssions of E..:onomic ~Iilll" .."hich apl'carcd '''lllril'g the yeJr (197(j) in ,,"hich this css;')" "":IS being
l1lulI~,led
ove,' hy
puhlishcl'';'' Bensusan-Ilutt offcrs his eOllllllents ,,"ith his "superego 5tnlg!:lillg to l"Ont-lin a revoJting id" ll'p"
181, viiil.
of Ihc illlcl'mcdi:lte ego ..'e :11'1:' lcrt to spcc~II:lte"
I"h"t heCHmc
I!U""l'I't'I' if the id
is the h:,:y I',"eudiall counterpart of the :,toms of I's)'..:holol:)"
the
ul t imatc l"ll"t ic lcs of cconomi c PS)'dl0 lo!:y, till' SllI'CI'-C~O, I rauscend i ng the ':ollscious ego, he",':> :' strollg ,·cs<.'lIIhluncc to 11ll' IW:lr-omll,scicnt if not fully omnis..:icnt, ration:'l I.cono,"j~· ,11:In of 1';,,'1 II, "ho despite his oJWliso:ience "cannot I.no.." in :uJVilll":C .. h"t (Iw) ,,"ould do in situations utte .. ly
unli~e
those in .. h,.:h (he} finds (himsclf)" ". 12.
n,ese
69
Economic Analysis and Policy
":i'c31'-Omnlscienl
~k:n"
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
of l'art II :Ire 'selfish, calculating and ..'cll-
inforlJl('d', I\el'fe.:tly malh'ahle (unifOI'm in intelligence) 1O0 lh"t the)' c,m
In~taT1tancOllslr
"H.lapt themselvC's to flny pmtluctivc economic
llctivit)' and move theltlselves to ,IllY place and fr;lgm('nt themsC'lves into any .JiffeITnti,,1 to achiC'vC' conrinuil)' ;l1ld ,Ihsence of lumpiness in the eleg,Hlt supply ,lIld delllilnd CUI'I'("S (pp, II ffJ.
lIence the genuine
ps)'chology gr:lftl'd onto I:conO.le N:m .. i II serve to .... ]..c hi. e\'en more o .... isclent th.. n his earlier .ad:>l, bec,lUs(> (>cono.ic ['s)'cholog)' "'ill co.,ine with positive ccono"I\::50, no""rilre, mol'al 01' ethic,ll crit("ria of fn'e choice.
II ""ill collll';ne ;1 "falth tlwt evellts arc J("t("r.in:lte"
""ith cthies "'-hich "postlilatl's ffl'e ..';11: .. , a scil'lICC of tlw critcl'i,1 of free l'hoiec" (p,
159),
'Ill" pn)posC'd hehilviolll'al s'cicnc(' of ccollomil's
... ill he;, tletl'rminate sc;ene,' of fl'C'l'-,dll 01' dlOiCl'!
S\JCh l'ont l'aJi(t Ions
lIhollnd in this C55,ly ""hich [hc ,\uthor (l'pe,lledly I'efers to ,IS a "0r].. of "spccul:ll ions" ""h;ch he admits (p, 172)
"1'('
th(' equi\,;l1ent of guesses.
1I0,"<'v("r, in Ihe I'reface (p. l'lli) he obs<.'l'\·(",j Ih:1t h<.' '.cdit;ttcd,md "'rou' the boo]..' ""hill' hl' s("rvl"d as ,I proft'ssorial (ello\{:lt
t\.~.U,'
'I posltlOIl
hl" h("ltl, so Ihl' hiogr,lphica! infor..atioll suppli<.'t1 infor.l' the r(":ld("r. fmlll 19(,2-1!175.
The appointllll'nt accordeu, in thl' .ast congenial
Slll'l'OlIlHlingl'. riChts of long-continued :lnd lIn,listurbed cOl\tl'mplat ion', Specula! i ve guesses th(' product of 'TlC'tlit:'(l.'d contl'wplat ion do impl)' reflectivl.'. discu,'siv(" argufll('nt.
It is rcgl'CtI;lblc that llcnsllsall-Bull'"
;,d.il·ahlc iconoclastic IIurl'0S(" was d("stined to fail bcC;lUSl' of his lilllilCd illtl"l!('CTlIal I'(,,""pt'("tiv<' which confin("dc.:-ono.ic aan :lnd his IIsyc-hology vII·tllally tc> th(" laH non hundrt'J y<':lrs teh;IIIter H), t)n<,
coincidence ""a'< ..-hi.sic-ally Ironic.
hoo~ ~'orr(,,"poIlJs
"'fltlllg til('
"riling of Til" lJis,'oursl's and TI,l' l'rlIlCC', "~'t'lll'nlill"
,'lio one pI'i:lsctl
"'isdorn III<.Il'e highly than did B"I:()II.
fo,,"d,'1' of 'nQd"r'lit)"
Th(" pl'rlod spend on
10 th(' titll(" tradition ,Issigns to Machiavelli's
It ,,'as
~lachial'('lli's
~Iachinv("lli,
the
h'ho lihl'I':lteJ m'Jll]"inJ fro,m the t)'l'mmy of the
'chool'I\l'n (,md thl'i" dll"l ;u,thorities 'l1,e Ilihl{' "nd SocI',ltic philosophy). Il.cnsll":UI-llutt 1"lradoxic;llly Ill.enS hi.self to lIacon, the pr;liscl' of Irl"lchia\'f'lli.
For hi •. tht, (,,·"lIn.;sts and the <'cono. . tl'i<;i'lIls' science
of ..m'l' I\('h"viollr "'ithout any. . .n (pI" "'l'n' tn Ilnrnn (". r"nnOlDil'
~1:I1l
h'ho thruugh
17R).
173, 175) an.' "'hat the School ..n
11,(" :IJh("I'("nt" of the
"hsurdlr, unrealistic'
fl'l' , 1:'1, 175. 177) arc the IDOdl'rn countel'J>;ll't of those lIihli~,11
l'ev("lntioll ,1IlU
h'i~Hlom
,lIlll/01' Socr"tie philosoph)'
Economic Analysis and Policy
70
Vol. 09 No. 01, March 1979
tried to articulate a coherent
unJcrstanJin~ of
to "'Iwt fOJ" lIencll bC<:
:L
simple ide;I,
the COSIllOS by I'eferencc ~lan's
hllln.;lllitr cOlllJ
OJl]Y be unJerstood by appcal to SOllll' tr;1I1scclldent,11 stiperhUIII;11l SUPPOl't, ~lan
being the cre:Hurc enJOI,ed hith reason and limited lor it being a
faculty could oilly ,Ispirc to;1 life of contelRJll;ltion "here he coulll asl.. questiol1s silllilar to that ,",hith to hi. out of the burning bush.
~Ioscs
addressed to CoJ .. hen lie spoke
111<' pllliosophcr, uncncullbcred by the
congen ia 1 surroundings of A\U, un like tht' prophet, can nC,",CI' kno,", c,",en Cod's OIn:>"'er to
~Ioscs,
IN alone ho..· to perfect nC;lr-Ollllliscient ;lIld
inFinitcly malleable ,In
~I,IIl,
Sensus,1I1-Butt
lie usc:> the sl'conu p
reminiscent of Smith's paroJy
of it in the th'O celebrated accounts of the
mysterious "'orldngs of the invisible Iwn
1111.' invisible
hOlnd being the &;Uil ex f'ue;JiJI;;; throuRh ,",hich the 1;1"'s of supply ;II1U de"llld oper:ltc converts priv,lle :lv:Il'iciou:>ness Illte the IIUblic intcre!'t. By serving
.a~'
the
II0St-~\;I~'hi:IV"lli;1tI or
"'hidl belongs in this ,",arid, is att;lin:lble
Ilohhese:ln justice, ;. goo
;tli ..n.
The Invisible
han
'111e rcviscu IllOdrl of El'Onomic
~kln
l"l'nJel'rd I'0s"ihlr:-
by his proposed psycholORical invcst ig;.tions "ould not 'ulul'h affcl'! the l'eSultl1111 of the u:>u;,] forces of supply :lIla de ... ntJ' (p, 1801_