Chapter 13 - The Legacy of Aschehoug: Concluding Remarks

Summary

This book has endeavoured to analyse the economic thought of Torkel Aschehoug and to demonstrate that he represented the historical-empirical approach to economics. The reconstruction of his thought has revealed a complexity and sophistication that is rare among his contemporary Norwegian scholars.

Aschehoug's postscript was written in November 1908, only a few months before his death, and provides an overview of his work and thoughts. Aschehoug himself is best described as a reserved optimist. He believed in the power of education to strengthen ideas of equality and democracy, but he did not believe that education would eradicate the self-interested and egoistic tendencies of the human mind. Yet Aschehoug viewed the economic and cultural development on the verge of the twentieth century in an optimistic light, and he was confident that sound use of experience would be the best means of continuous, healthy development. And as the letter below shows, Aschehoug had no intention of quitting his work, despite the fact that his health was quickly deteriorating.

The following letter to Bohm-Bawerk, his last known written words, was composed just a few weeks before he died on 21 January 1909. The letter was never sent. Some words are illegible and their meaning has had to be guessed:

Dear Sir

It has been an exceedingly great pleasure for me to receive your amiable letter from the 26th of December [this letter cannot be found, and there are no traces of a preceding letter to Bohm-Bawerk from Aschehoug, so it might be suggested that Bohm-Bawerk was the one that wrote to Aschehoug in the first place] and the enclosed portrait of you.[…]