History of Economic Ideas in 20 Talks

This book provides a concise history of economic thought for readers of all ages. While some basic economics knowledge would be helpful, it is not required. The book sets out to achieve three aims: to be interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking. While the authors may appear opinionated in certain instances, this is intentionally done in order to alert readers to form their own views. History of ideas does not make the us smarter nor richer, but it can reduce our ignorance and the “banality of evil”—a term Hannah Arendt referred to people who lack self-reflection, “He did his duty...; he not only obeyed orders, he also obeyed the law.”

Cheng-chung Lai is Emeritus Professor at National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan), with three decades of experience in teaching economic history and history of economics thought. His books in English include: Adam Smith across Nations: Translations and Receptions of The Wealth of Nations, Oxford University Press (2000); Braudel’s Historiography Reconsidered (2004). He was educated in Taiwan (BA) and Belgium (MA), received his doctorate from École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris.Tai-kuang Ho is Professor of Economics at National Taiwan University, educated in Taiwan (BS and MA) and at the University of Bonn, Germany (Ph.D.). Specializing in International Money/Finance as well as its historical aspect, he has been published widely in many learned journals, including Journal of Money, Banking, and Credit, Oxford Economic Papers, Economica, and Explorations in Economic History.