Economics is boring to many I think, because it lacks the narrative drive of history, or the unifying approach of the hard sciences. Both views are of course incorrect but in Friedman there was an individual whose own work and life had both great narrative and a simple, consistent approach. Motivated almost solely with the aim of securing personal liberty and pitched by the popular press in an ideological and theoretical battle against Keynes, his popularity and controversy are unsurprising.
Of course I only ever ‘knew’ him as a chapter in a textbook or an entry in an encyclopedia, but I’ll remember him as a great rebel and progressive. Like the best rebels he either inspired revulsion, or attraction. For me it was the latter. If I have even a millionth of his intellect, it’s because of people like him who continue to inspire me to learn more and encourage me to test my own views against those of others. A competition for ideas that I’m sure he would have endorsed.
Here is Sam Brittain’s excellent obit from the FT (free).
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