Clarence Edwin Ayres

Clarence Edwin Ayres (1891 - 1972), born in the Massachusetts, is an American economist who was member of the tradition American institutionnalist, at the sides in particular of Thorstein Veblen and John R. Commons.

Biographical elements

Born in 1891, Ayres initially followed studies of philosophy. It carries out its thesis of doctorate of philosophy, which it obtains in 1917, with the Université of Chicago (title of the thesis: " Natural The off the Relationship Between Ethics and Economics"). During this period, it binds friendship with the economist Frank Knight. Until 1925, he teaches at the University of Chicago. Charismatic teacher, it will influence notably Talcott Parsons and Joseph Dorfman. After a short passage to the University of Wisconsin, it finds a post of economist at the University of Texas in which it will remain until the end of his career, in spite of the wrongs that its anticonformist opinions will cause him. It is in this University that Ayres develops the essence of its theoretical system, which will influence a great number of future economists institutionnalists. It is thus often mentioned " the School of Texas" , tradition institutionnalist being distinguished from that of " the School of Wisconsin" , started by J.R. Commons, another economist institutionnalist. From 1935 to 1938, he is leading member of the American Economic Review . Advised of President Harry Truman, it takes part in 1966 in the creation of the Association for Evolutionary Economics , institution which is still today the principal voice of the economic theses hétérodoxes to thePlain ones.

The system of thought of Ayres

Because of its philosophical formation, work of E.C. Ayres invariably comprises interrogations of a philosophical nature on the evolution of the developed companies, the question of economic progress and the role of technology. It was particularly influenced in the writings of the philosopher American pragmatist John Dewey. Ayres will retain of it in particular the concept of instrumental evaluation, which indicates that the action and research proceed invariably according to a continuum means-end-means. Ayres will form, starting from the instrumentalism of Dewey, the dichotomy institution/technology on which the whole of its system of thought rests.

This dichotomy constitutes in fact a generalization of the analyzes of the economist Thorstein Veblen, which saw the mechanization of the economy like a means of rationalizing the economic behaviors of the individuals. The generalization operated by Ayres, in addition very disputed for its intransigent excessivity (including by its own disciples), consists in seeing in technology the independent source of economic progress and human. On the other hand, the social institutions are seen like generating behaviors known as " cérémonials" , i.e. justifying itself by an adhesion with beliefs and habits. Ayres interprets these behaviors cérémonials like a brake with the social progress. Starting from this dichotomy, Ayres thus interprets the evolution of the human society as being the result of a power struggle between two contrary and opposite influences.

Progressionism and nonconformism

The thought of Ayres is impressed of a connotation progressist, probably inherited the writings of Dewey, in which the company is thought like being able to be transformed by the rational action of the individuals. Ayres was constituted in a savage adversary of all the ways of thinking cérémonials, to start with the religion, in which the action of the individuals is guided by beliefs and not by the instrumental criterion. Its opinions were worth many troubles with the to him Université of Texas where it has several times was threatened of reference. In its last work Toward has Reasonable Society (1961), Ayres developed the double idea of limited capitalism and reasonable company. A reasonable company east defines by Ayres as a company in which the technological advancement is put at the service of the wellbeing of the individuals and where it agrees with a system of value which is compatible for him and which allows a good use of it. This reasonable company should pass by a limited capitalism, i.e. an economic system in which the economic and social institutions, adjust themselves with technological development taking into consideration system of value prevail, without they having the possibility of disturbing this technological development.

Bibliography (nonexhaustive)

1927 : Science: The False Messiah
1929 : Holier Than Thou : the Way off the Righteous
1944: Theory off Economic Progress
1961: Toward has Reasonable Society

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