Talk:Henry Hazlitt

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[edit] Education?

Omitting his educational background is a flaw in an article about someone with a reputation as a philosopher and economist. Tex

I've touched on this in a one-sentence biographical sketch. GMcGath 23:17, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

Many thanks... Tex 02:38, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

He doesn't even have a bachelor's degree, so I don't think its legitimate to call him an economist. He is an economic commentator, or something similar, but not an economist. --OneWorld22 00:30, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

You don't have to have a degree to be an economist. Please note this excerpt from the economist article:

A professional working inside of one of many fields of economics or having an academic degree in this subject is an economist, and any person within any of these fields can properly claim to be one, although the broad range of matters coming under this designation makes it a practical impossibility for any individual to master all of them (this is the same as for almost all other fields of knowledge such as medicine or engineering).

There are plenty of notable sources that cite Hazlitt as an economist. For instance, in the Mises Institute's "What is Austrian Economics?"[1] it is stated that:

Yet Hazlitt made his own contributions to the Austrian School. He wrote a line-by-line critique of Keynes's General Theory, defended the writings of Say, and restored him to a central place in Austrian macroeconomic theory. Hazlitt followed Mises's example of intransigent adherence to principle, and as a result was pushed out of four high-profile positions in the journalistic world.

In the 23 August 2004 edition of National Review, Hazlitt is described as "the great economist." In his "Farewell to Henry Hazlitt,"[2] in The New American, Mark D. Isaacs describes Hazlitt as a "largely self-educated economist." According to a Mises.org biography of Hazlitt[3],

When Mencken decided to turn the journal over to a new editor, he named Hazlitt, calling him the 'only competent critic of the arts that I have heard of who was at the same time a competent economist, of practical as well as theoretical training.' And, Mencken added, 'he is one of the few economists in human history who could really write.'

Sounds like a lot of notable people seemed to think that Hazlitt was an economist and not just a "commentator." DickClarkMises 20:47, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Naturally Austrians consider him an economist- he is definitely a member of their school of thought (as are you it seems, DickClarkMises). If you think someone with a high school degree can be an economist, this makes the title virtually meaningless.

Also, if you look at the sources, they are all conservative or libertarian. This is definitely a biased point of view. Just look at National Review, Mencken, Mises, Mises Institute, etc. The New American is a publication of the John Birch Society, a far-right wing group. You can see the bias on The New American here [4]. If you can find anyone from the middle or the left that thinks he is an economist, then you might have an argument, but otherwise, you've just shown that ideological allies support their friends.

I think that Hazlitt has made a contribution to economics, but it is unfair to describe him as an economist simply because he supports your views. If a Keynesian with a high school degree started commenting on economics, then would you consider him an economist too? OneWorld22 06:46, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Here on Wikipedia we are supposed to cite notable sources for assertions. It doesn't really matter if you disagree with the positions of those describing Hazlitt as an economist. The question, rather, is whether such notations are notable by Wikipedia standards. Mencken's quote is cited elsewhere, but I was first aware of it from the Mises.org article, which is why I cited that above. And yes, I would argue that someone can lack a formal degree in economics and still be an economist. Again, please read the definition given in the economist article. After all, few would dispute that Adam Smith was an economist, and yet your definition would preclude his description as such since his formal education was in moral philosophy. It is not official Wikipedia policy to restrict labels such as "economist," "philosopher," etc. to only those who have formal degrees in such fields, and I'm not sure why you think such a rule ought to be instated for Hazlitt. Notable sources have said in no uncertain terms that Hazlitt contributed not just to the dissemination of economic ideas, but to a particular school of economic thought. It seems pretty open-and-shut to me, although I hope we can get input from other editors. DickClarkMises 08:33, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

I should also mention that if you are aware of any notable sources that dispute Hazlitt's role as an economist, please cite them. If there is a notable dispute about this, it may be important to note that in the article. DickClarkMises 08:36, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

He is described in the wikipedia article on The Freeman as an economic journalist.(He was the editor of this journal). He is described by the AEI, a right-wing think tank, as an economic journalist, [5], and even The Mises Institute himself describes Hazlitt as an economic journalist, [6]. The [Future of Freedom Foundation], a libertarian organization, describes Hazlitt as an economic journalist. I propose that he be described as an economic journalist, as this is how he is considered.

Indeed, I couldn't find a source that discussed him from a moderate or left-wing source, except for Brad DeLong's blog, where Hazlitt isn't described as an economist. Perhaps this speaks to poor researching skills, but it seems like few who opposes his views seems to take him seriously enough to discuss him....

I would agree though that input from other editors would be welcome. OneWorld22 21:12, 19 November 2006 (UTC)