Re: [PEN-L] Lange

[Perelman, Michael]

Thanks, Michael, but I do not recall him being engaged in any radical activity or movement.  Could you bring us up to speed.   Mirowski's book shows how his work with Cowles had very negative effects.  Many of the people involved were socialists, but their mathematical economics led the discipline down the wrong path.   Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929   -----Original Message----- From: PEN-L list [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of michael a. lebowitz Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 2:26 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [PEN-L] Lange   At 16:27 29/10/2004, michael P. wrote: In the case of Lange, I do not know that he was radical in style at all.  I am not sure that he got involved in any radical movements & his methodology (as Mirowski shows) helped to fuel the modern market friendly world we live in today. Lange was a communist, and I think he's had a bum rap--- just because he demonstrated that neoclassical general equilibrium theory could be hoisted on its own petard. In the very same work in which he did his thing with GE theory, he went on to discuss the process of transition in the following way (quoted from my book, p. 192): "Thus, Lange (1964: 129) commented that, for an economist called upon to advise a government that wants to do more than administer a capitalist economy, ‘there exists only one economic policy which he can commend to a socialist government as likely to lead to success. This is a policy of revolutionary courage’."         in solidarity,          michael Michael A. Lebowitz Professor Emeritus Economics Department Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6 Currently based in Venezuela. Can be reached at Residencias Anauco Suites Departamento 601 Parque Central, Zona Postal 1010, Oficina 1 Caracas, Venezuela (58-212) 573-4111 fax: (58-212) 573-7724