ABSTRACT
The purpose of Dasgupta’s Epochs of Economic Theory (Dasgupta, 1985) is, in the author’s own words, ‘only to suggest a perspective for viewing the development of economic theory’ (Dasgupta, 1985, p. 7). Despite the modesty of this aim, however, Dasgupta’s thesis raises a number of very important issues concerning both contemporary economics and its history, and it is important that these are addressed. The remainder of this introduction outlines Dasgupta’s main claims, and the following sections discuss some of the issues raised.
