Mr. Carvalho and the Post-Keynesians: Scholar, Theorist, Writer

Abstract

Fernando Cardim de Carvalho’s monumental intellectual legacy encompasses many elements - his teaching, his mentoring, his scholarship, and his policy activism. This essay explores Cardim’s contributions to Post-Keynesian economics through the lens of his 31 publications in refereed English-language journals. After applying some bibliometric analysis to these articles, we undertake a chronological review of the themes developed in Cardim’s publications on theoretical topics in Keynesian economics. This is followed by a clarification and defense of Cardim’s distinctive methodology. We then undertake a chronological review of the articles containing his critical analyses of development policy. This side-by-side comparison of Cardim’s theoretical and policy pre-occupations through time clarifies their close interconnection. We conclude by examining the craft of writing in Cardim’s work, as he was an economist whose impact stemmed not just what he said, but from how he said it. Seeing Fernando Cardim de Carvalho’s scholarship from these different angles - his multidimensional contributions as a scholar, as a theorist, a critic, and as a crafter of prose - permits a full appreciation of both the range and depth of his work as a Keynesian economist.