著者

入木 紀一郎

出版者

The Japanese Society for the History of Economic Thought

雑誌

経済学史学会年報 (ISSN:04534786)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.30, no.30, pp.28-36, 1992 (Released:2010-08-05)

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As a young man Carl Menger worked as a journalist over a ten year period. Basing itself on the memorandum in his diary, this paper first gives an overview of his journalistic activity and tries to locate it in the Viennese politics of his day. Menger's later recollection that he discovered marginal utility theory through his experience of writing market reports for a Viennese paper is examined. Menger's theory originally emerged as the individualistic counterpart of price determination in the market. Menger's liberalism, as well as his rich experience in journalism, attracted the interest of his pupil, Crown Prince Rudolf. Rudolf's tragic death was a fatal blow to his teacher who had still hoped something could be accomplished by liberal initiatives from above.