Edwin Cannan (3 February 1861,

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– 8 April 1935,

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), the son of David Cannan and artist

Jane Cannan Jane Cannan (1822–1861) was an Anglo-Australian artist. Life and work Born Jane Dorothea Claude in 1822 of Berlin Huguenot descent, she grew up in Liverpool and Ambleside in England's Lake District and was a charity worker and school teache ...

, was a British economist and historian of economic thought. He was a professor at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 milli ...

from 1895 to 1926. As a partisan of Jevonianism, Edwin Cannan is perhaps best known for his logical dissection and destruction of

Classical theory Classical physics is a group of physics theories that predate modern, more complete, or more widely applicable theories. If a currently accepted theory is considered to be modern, and its introduction represented a major paradigm shift, then the ...

in his famous 1894 tract ''A History of the Theories of Production and Distribution''. Although Cannan had personal and professional difficulties with

Alfred Marshall Alfred Marshall (26 July 1842 – 13 July 1924) was an English economist, and was one of the most influential economists of his time. His book '' Principles of Economics'' (1890) was the dominant economic textbook in England for many years. I ...

, he was still "Marshall's man" at the LSE from 1895 to 1926. During that time, particularly during his long stretch as chairman after 1907, Edwin Cannan shepherded the LSE away from its roots in

Fabian socialism The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The Fab ...

into tentative Marshallianism. This period was only to last, however, until his protégé,

Lionel Robbins Lionel Charles Robbins, Baron Robbins, (22 November 1898 – 15 May 1984) was a British economist, and prominent member of the economics department at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is known for his leadership at LSE, his proposed de ...

, took over with his more "Continental" ideas. Though Cannan, in his early years as an economist, was a critic of classical economics and an ally of interventionists, he moved sharply to the side of

classical liberalism Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, e ...

in the early 20th century. He favored a simplicity, clarity, and common sense in the exposition of economics. According to Geoffrey M. Hodgson, Cannan "emphasised the institutional foundation of economic systems".''How Economics Forgot History'' (2001), p.205. Hodgson continues with the remark that in ''Wealth'' (1914) Cannan stressed the family, private property and the state.

Major works

* * ''The Origin of the Law of Diminishing Returns, 1813-15'', 1892, ''

The Economic Journal ''The Economic Journal'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics published on behalf of the Royal Economic Society by Oxford University Press. The journal was established in 1891 and publishes papers from all areas of economics.The edito ...

(EJ)''. * ''Ricardo in Parliament'', 1894, ''EJ''. * * ''A History of the Theories of Production and Distribution in English Political Economy from 1776 to 1848'', 1898. * * ''The Economic Outlook'', 1912. * ''Wealth'

1914. * ''Early History of the term "Capital"'', 1921, ''QJE''. * ''An Application of the Theoretical Apparatus of Supply and Demand to Units of Currency'', 1921, ''EJ''. * ''Money: Its connexion with rising and falling prices'

1923. * ''Monetary Reform'', with J.M. Keynes, Addis and Milner, 1924, ''EJ'' * ''An Economist's Protest'', 1927 * ''A Review of Economic Theory'', 1929 * ''Modern Currency and the Regulation of Its Value'', London: D.S. King and Son, 1932. * ''Collected Works of Edwin Cannan'' (1998, 8 volumes), edited by Alan Ebenstein (London & New York: Routledge/Thoemmes Press)

Notes

External links

*
Edwin Cannan
at cepa.newschool.edu
Cannan index
at socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca
Catalogue of Edwin Cannan papers at London School of Economics (LSE) Archives

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannan, Edwin 1861 births 1935 deaths British economists Historians of economic thought Academics of the London School of Economics

Major works

See also

Notes

External links