Comments on: Clark on Polanyi (the Bad One) http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/ The Sweet Release of Reason Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:01:17 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jim Henley http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583327 Jim Henley Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:31:47 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583327 I think of it as <em>adorable pedantry</em>. Hm. Must rethink. I think of it as adorable pedantry. Hm. Must rethink.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583326 Will Wilkinson Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:34:26 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583326 My big concern is Jim's obnoxious pedantry. My big concern is Jim's obnoxious pedantry.

]]> By: Jim Henley http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583325 Jim Henley Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:29:55 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583325 My big concern is the redundancy of "from whence." My big concern is the redundancy of “from whence.”

]]> By: Greg Clark Continues His Jihad Against Sociology « Matt Zeitlin: Impetuous Young Whippersnapper http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-581198 Greg Clark Continues His Jihad Against Sociology « Matt Zeitlin: Impetuous Young Whippersnapper Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:22:39 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-581198 [...] Polanyi related commentary, check out Will WIlkinson and Mark [...] [...] Polanyi related commentary, check out Will WIlkinson and Mark [...]

]]> By: Matt http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583324 Matt Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:35:43 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583324 The review might be "fun" but it's not very accurate at summarizing Polanyi and so not very good at critiquing him, either. It's bad enough to make me wonder if he'd really read the book or just was going on what he'd read elsewhere. The claim that Polanyi is ignored by economists is also very odd- I was turned on to the book by my first econ professor in college who was a big fan. Brad Delong assigns him, Stilglitz wrote the introduction to the new version, etc. It's a weird review, based much more on a particular ideological take than a real effort to look at the book. I guess that can be "fun" but it's not very enlightening. The review might be “fun” but it's not very accurate at summarizing Polanyi and so not very good at critiquing him, either. It's bad enough to make me wonder if he'd really read the book or just was going on what he'd read elsewhere. The claim that Polanyi is ignored by economists is also very odd- I was turned on to the book by my first econ professor in college who was a big fan. Brad Delong assigns him, Stilglitz wrote the introduction to the new version, etc. It's a weird review, based much more on a particular ideological take than a real effort to look at the book. I guess that can be “fun” but it's not very enlightening.

]]> By: berger http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583323 berger Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:26:06 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583323 If you can't draw a distinction between market economies and free market ones you really aren't qualified to review Polanyi. If you can't draw a distinction between market economies and free market ones you really aren't qualified to review Polanyi.

]]> By: bachwards http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2008/06/12/clark-on-polanyi-the-bad-one/comment-page-1/#comment-583322 bachwards Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:51:53 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/?p=1499#comment-583322 I fear Clark glosses over why other social scientists actually enjoy the book. Even if you disagree about the consequences of laissez-faire or Polanyi's anthropological claims, I think his point about the embeddedness of markets in society is still worth considering and is probably the main reason sociologists and others still recommend the book. I think Clark's general aversion to institutional explanations for economic outcomes (see also his negative review of Avner Greif's book) precludes him from giving this full consideration. <br><br>Santhi Hejeebu and Deirdre McCloskey had a really interesting piece on Polanyi a few years ago in Critical Review. I cannot find a non-gated link online, but <a href="http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/pubs/drafts/blyth.php">here is a response they wrote to a critic of their original essay</a>. I fear Clark glosses over why other social scientists actually enjoy the book. Even if you disagree about the consequences of laissez-faire or Polanyi's anthropological claims, I think his point about the embeddedness of markets in society is still worth considering and is probably the main reason sociologists and others still recommend the book. I think Clark's general aversion to institutional explanations for economic outcomes (see also his negative review of Avner Greif's book) precludes him from giving this full consideration.

Santhi Hejeebu and Deirdre McCloskey had a really interesting piece on Polanyi a few years ago in Critical Review. I cannot find a non-gated link online, but here is a response they wrote to a critic of their original essay.

]]>