Re: [OPE-L] Jacques Gouverneur's new text on Marxist economics

[Gerald_A_Levy@xxxxxxx]

> I think the point of the cowritten piece by Michele Naples was that
> an introductory economics textbook which has scientific pretension
> should be very clear on the nature and source of profit in a profit
> oriented system.  A textbook should be judged by the clarity of the
> answer that it provides and the superiority of that answer over
> alternative explanations. The Marxian texts that you mentioned are
> thus not the best introductions to Marx's Capital as a work in the
> history of economic thought; they are simply the best introductions
> to economics.

Rakesh:

The article by Naples and Nahid Aslanbeigui was very explicitly directed
towards the *neoclassical* answers presented by introductory textbooks,
not Marxian or heterodox economics texts.

Michele used to assign Swartz and Bonello _Clashing Views on
Controversial Economics Issues_ (McGraw-Hill) for her intro. classes
in economics.  I don't know if she still does.  I don't have experience
using this book -- have others on the list? -- but I don't generally find
"controversial issues"  books to be very well organized as texts and
they generally leave out too much "basic theory" material that I believe
should be covered in an introductory course.

If you are interested in some of her thoughts on teaching introductory
economics see:
http://econwpa.wustl.edu/~tchecndg/archive/1995/0893.html
http://www.listproc.bucknell.edu/archives/femecon-l/199904/msg00055.html

In solidarity, Jerry

PS re Alejandro's suggestion for a webpage:
Well, who on the list knows how to put together web pages?   If they had
the time, this might be a good project for ... Allin? ... and/or Paul C? ...
and/or Hans? ... and/or Ian W? ... and/or ...???