Contribution of E.L. Wheelwright to Political Economy: Public Scholar, Economic Power and Global Capitalism

Abstract

In this paper I examine the contribution of Edward Lawrence Wheelwright (1921-2007) to political economy and start by highlighting the important role that Wheelwright played as a Public Scholar and contributor to the building of institutions. This is followed by an overview of his analysis of the major contradictions of capitalism. Consideration is then given to his work on the concentration of economic power and transnational capitalism. In the last major section I scrutinise his history of capitalism in Australia, which is set within a political economy framework and its global and regional contexts. In the conclusion an assessment is made of his contribution to political economy, with suggested areas of further inquiry also identified.