PKT message, Discussing the GT

Ric wrote:

The second project I would like us to take on is a
discussion Keynes's General Theory. I would like some feedback on how
we should organize the discussion. Should we do it by chapter, by
topic(s)? Should there be a moderator? Should different individuals
take responsibility for reviewing a particular chapter? Should this
discussion be on the pkt list or the pkt-seminars list?

First, this is an excellent idea and there are of course different ways that the discussion could take place.

Personally, I think that a discussion of all 24 chapters could be extremely interesting (of course there might not be that much to discuss about chapter 1). However, this may not be that realistic since there would be an awful lot of material to cover and the discussion would probably not end this summer. If possible, however, I think that a proper discussion of the book should be done on a chapter by chapter basis.First, This might also challenge the view some of us might hold of the more "mysterious" chapters in the GT. Second, discussing the book chapter by chapter might lead us to be more critical of our personal "rational reconstructions" of the book.

When the discussion of the book has finished at the list, it might be a good idea to discuss some of the issues that Keynes did not deal with in great detail in the GT: e.g., the GT in an open economy, endogenous money, inflation.

Regards

Peter Jensen