From: Richard Fast <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 11:31 AM
To: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Constitutional Economics
Dear Walter,
Constitutional Economics is an elective Troy is offering in the Spring. I’ve read that you are critical of that field. Why is that? And how is it different from the Law and Economics class you taught?
Regards,
Ricardo
From: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:00 PM
To: ‘Richard Fast’ <[email protected]>
Cc: ‘[email protected]‘ <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Constitutional Economics
Dear Ricardo:
Here’s my book attacking that:
DiLorenzo, Thomas J. and Walter E. Block. 2017. An Austro-Libertarian Critique of Public Choice; Addleton Academic Publishers; www.addletonacademicpublishers.com; 30-18 50th Street, Woodside, New York, 11377; [email protected]; ISBN 978-1-942585-26-8, eISBN 978-1-942585-27-5; An Austro-Libertarian Critique of Public Choice
Among all the various schools of economic thought, the ideas of the Public Choice school have a unique relationship with Austrian economics. Both embrace a rigorous application of methodological individualism, and many great scholars in both traditions have been influenced and inspired by the works of the other. These similarities, however do not change the very real differences that exist between the two schools. In An Austro-Libertarian Critique of Public Choice, Thomas DiLorenzo and Walter Block brilliantly identify both the ways the two schools complement each other, as well as highlighting the various shortcomings that exist within the positivist Public Choice approach. The result is a book that is a must read for any scholar interested in either economic tradition.
Constitutional economics is virtually a synonym for public choice.
My course on law and economics included a critique of Public Choice and Constitutional Economics from an Austro-libertarian point of view.
Best regards,
Walter
2:39 am on February 2, 2020
