Heterodox Economists, Part 2: Joan Robinson

In the second episode of their mini-series on heterodox economists, Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze discuss Joan Robinson, a British economist who challenged mainstream economic thought. Tooze provides a biography of Robinson, highlighting her work on imperfect competition, her involvement with Keynes, and her later engagement with Marxian economics and Maoist China. The discussion covers Robinson's concept of monopsony and its relevance to labor markets, as well as her critique of "bastard Keynesianism" and military Keynesianism. They analyze Robinson's views on the failures of mainstream economics to address issues such as inequality, inflation, and environmental damage, ultimately positioning her as a post-Keynesian thinker who sought to revive a more radical vision of socio-economic thinking.