Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Preface to The Romantic Economist; Part I. The Prelude: The Romantic Economist and the History of Ideas: 2. The great divide; 3. Debates within political economy; 4. Lessons from Romanticism; Part II. Fragments of Unity: Romantic Economics in Practice: 5. Using organic metaphors in economics; 6. Economics and the nation state; 7. Incommensurable values; 8. Imagination and creativity in markets; 9. Homo romanticus and other homines; 10. Imagination and perspective in economics; 11. The Romantic economist: conclusion.

Reviews

"The Romantic Economist is a miracle, combining sophisticated economics with, of all things, sophisticated literary criticism—in aid of the economics. An economics that recognized our Wordsworthian selves, Richard Bronk argues in a lucid and learned style, would do much better at the analysis of getting and spending. The world is too much with us if we do not have a humanistic science of economics. Bronk is among the handful of modern students of the economy who sees this clear. Literary folk can learn from Bronk about the dismal science. But it is the tribe of the Econ who need him most. Fortunately they will find the needful assignment here a delight." - Deirdre McCloskey, author of The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce (2006)

"Bronk's The Romantic Economist is a highly original exploration of the ways in which an understanding of the Romantic tradition can help enrich and improve our economic thinking. With a rare command of orthodox economics, philosophy and literature, Bronk shows how our view of economic life is shaped by metaphors that limit our vision. Arguing that absorbing some of the insights into human action of Romantic writers enables us to correct these distortions, Bronk liberates economics from the stultifying effects of an over-mechanical view of human action. His book will be read with profit by political theorists, historians of ideas and - not least - practising economists." - John Gray, Emeritus Professor of European Thought, London School of Economics.

"This is a truly riveting book which carries one, with wit, analytical sharpness and an unusual clarity of style, through two centuries of Anglo-Saxon debate between political philosophers, political economists, poets and public intellectuals over the nature of economics. It establishes Richard Bronk as a substantial intellectual in the cultural history of economic thought." - David Soskice, Research Professor of Comparative Political Economy, Oxford University and Research Professor of Political Science, Duke University.

"... fascinating new book" - Larry Elliott, Economics Editor, The Guardian

"... a fascinating blast against simplistic maths-based thinking, in favour of what he calls the Romantic Economist.... a very radical book.... very persuasive." - Andrew Marr, BBC Radio 4

"The book is superb—a wonderful blend of common sense, erudition, and imagination." - David Colander, Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Economics, Middlebury College

Bronk, Richard

Mr Richard Bronk

Department Position held

European Institute

Visiting Fellow - European Political Economy

Experience keywords: models of capitalism; philosophy of economics; political economy; EU enlargement; history of ideas

Research summary > [Click to expand]

Richard Bronk has particular expertise in the history of ideas, philosophy of economics, comparative corporate governance and European political economy. Author of 'Progress and the Invisible Hand - the Philosophy and Economics of Human Advance' (Little Brown, 1998), Richard is currently writing on the role of imagination and metaphor in economics. His new book, 'The Romantic Economist: Imagination in Economics', is due to be published by Cambridge University Press in February 2009.

Contact Points

LSE email:r.bronk@lse.ac.uk

Publications

The following references are sourced from LSE Research Online|.

2009

Bronk, Richard (2009) The romantic economist: imagination in economics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN 9780521513845

2002

Bronk, Richard (2002) Commitment and credibility: EU conditionality and interim gains. European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

2000

Bronk, Richard (2000) Which model of capitalism? OECD Observer, (221/222). pp. 12-15. ISSN 0029-7054

Bronk, Richard (2000) Errors of the enlightenment. European business forum, (2). ISSN 1469-6460

1998

Bronk, Richard (1998) Progress and the invisible hand: the philosophy and economics of human advance. Little Brown, London, UK. ISBN 0751526606

LSE Research Online is the primary resource for references to publications. For queries or updates email (lseresearchonline@lse.ac.uk|) the LSE Research Online Team.