The public choice sedition: variations on the theme of scientific warfare

Abstract

Given a significant element of truth in 'Public Choice', a modest element must be found when a similar approach is made to the behavior of economic scientists. Harry Johnson found this in 'The Keynesian Revolution and the Monetarist Counter-Revolution'. Following him, I find more in the Public Choice 'Revolution' itself. The basic visions, assumptions and methods of the latter are appraised within its time-space stream. 'Variations on a theme by Buchanan' or 'The B- and F-Twist' could have been suggestive subtitles for this paper -- an embrycnic Economics of Knowledge, a complement to the Sociology of Knowledge.