Henry Hazlitt as an Intellectual Middleman of ‘Orthodox Economics’

Henry Hazlitt was a public intellectual who had unusual strength in both economic reasoning and articulation and played a central role in communicating the ideas of classical or ‘orthodox’ economics to the general public. He occupied a unique position in the mid-20th century intellectual life in the US as a prominent figure in the world of journalism –both as a literary critic and economist – and his influence extended to the discipline of economics where his work commanded the attention of professional economists. In his editorial writings in The Nation, New York Times, and Newsweek as well as his best-selling book, Economics in One Lesson, in public speeches, and numerous appearances on TV and radio, Hazlitt offered economic commentary to the current issues of his day and was fundamental in popularizing the ideas of free market economists during the period from the 1930s through the 1960s.