A look-back at a distinguished career in macroeconomics
Earlier this year I became, belatedly, acquainted with the work of David Laidler, Emeritus Professor at University of Western Ontario.
Having enjoyed several fascinating interactions with David earlier this year, I thought it might be useful to record one such conversation in the spirit of the age.
Topics include:
- Undergraduate macroeconomics at LSE in the 1950s, interactions with Popper and Robbins;
- Heading to the United States to delay National Service–and ending up at the University of Chicago taking Friedman’s Price Theory course in the same class as Lucas;
- Chancing upon a summer position at the NBER, then in New York, as research assistant to Anna Schwartz on the Monetary History;
- Learning monetary economics from Harry Johnson, not Friedman, at Chicago;
- Despite concentrating on public finance, converting to a monetary economist after being elected to teach the course in his first job at Berkeley;
- Rapidly leaving Berkeley for Essex in 1966 to escape the draft;
- Becoming something of a celebrity in the 1970s in the UK as inflation and monetarism came to dominate the public discourse;
- His near-brush with Thatcherism, but ultimately staying in Canada (where he Laidler moved in the 1970s);
- A life-long interest in the history of thought, and it’s continuing, vital importance;
As can be seen, we reference some of our previous interactions.
Unfortunately, due to some technical issues on my side, some of this conversation is punctuated. But I hope this does not spoil what I hope is a pleasant interaction with someone who indeed meets the description of “gentleman and scholar.”
The General Theorist 