William Stanley Jevons was 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. In this ambitious and incisive work, Bert Mosselmans provides a synthetic approach to Jevons’ theory and policy.
Adopting a relativist approach to his subject, Mosselmans focuses on many aspects of Jevons’ theory, aiming to tie the different strands together where appropriate, but to discriminate where necessary. Thoroughly comprehensive throughout, Mosselmans situates Jevons within the history of economic thought and in relation to his logic, ethics, religion and aesthetics. This reflexive position allows Mosselmans to examine the relation between Jevons’ theory and his practice.
The history of economic thought is taught throughout Europe, North America and Japan, and this work would appeal to economists, academics and postgraduates interested in this field. Mosselmans’ historiographical approach to Jevons may also be of considerable interest to scholars in philosophy, history and even literature.
