Introduction

This is a book which attempts to provide an overall picture of one of the dominant figures in British economics in the twentieth century. It is deliberately limited to drawing together a picture of Robbins on the basis of his published work. It is not the full-scale and full-length study which Robbins undoubtedly deserves and which, in the long run, he will undoubtedly receive — perhaps particularly as official papers are released under the thirty years’ rule. Rather, it is an attempt to begin to pull together some account of the thought of a figure who, with Keynes, dominated British economics in the inter-war period. In this way it is hoped to provide a start in the process of appraisal of this major figure while making available a summary source of his thought.