An in-depth look at the history and development of economic ideas emanating from and through the University of Chicago. Chicagonomics explores the history and development of classical liberalism as taught and explored at the University of Chicago. Ebenstein's tenth book in the history of economic and political thought, it deals specifically in the area of classical liberalism, examining the ideas of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, and is the first comprehensive history of free market economics at the University of Chicago from the founding of the University in 1892 until the present. The reader will learn why Chicago had such influence, to what extent different schools of thought in economics existed at Chicago and what the Chicago tradition, vision, and economic perspectives have to say about current economic and social circumstances. Ebenstein enlightens the personal and intellectual relationships among leading figures in economics at the University of Chicago, including Jacob Viner, Frank Knight, Henry Simons, Milton Friedman, George Stigler, Aaron Director, and Friedrich Hayek. He recasts classical liberal thought from Adam Smith to the present.

Author Biography

Lanny Ebenstein is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at UCSB, teaching the history of economic and political thought. From 1990 to 1998, Dr. Ebenstein was an elected member of the Santa Barbara Board of Education. He has written 10 books on the history of economic and political thought, including the first biographies of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman. His work is cited in many different publications and has been translated into many foreign languages. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.