F. TAYLOR OSTRANDER’S NOTES ON HENRY SIMONS’S COURSE ON PUBLIC FINANCE, ECONOMICS 360, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, 1933–1934

Abstract

This is the second set of lecture notes from courses in public finance published in an archival volume in this series. Volume 19-C (2001) was entirely devoted to notes from lectures by E. R. A. Seligman at Columbia University. Two differences mark Seligman’s lectures and the lectures by Henry C. Simons at Chicago, as reported below. Seligman seems to have been lecturing primarily to students in tax administration, hence he presented very little economic theory; whereas Simons was lecturing to graduate students in economics, and presented relatively more theory. Seligman did not refrain from some passing of judgment but his lectures were largely descriptive and non-judgmental; whereas Simons has no hesitation in presenting his own normative approach on various issues. These issues tended strongly to focus on inequality, tax justice, and progressivity.

Citation

Samuels, W.J. (2005), "F. TAYLOR OSTRANDER’S NOTES ON HENRY SIMONS’S COURSE ON PUBLIC FINANCE, ECONOMICS 360, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, 1933–1934", Samuels, W.J. (Ed.) Documents from F. Taylor Ostrander (Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, Vol. 23 Part 2), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 241-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0743-4154(05)23107-3