[Rezension zu Lorenz von Stein: Lehrbuch der Nationalökonomie, dritte umgearbeitete Auflage]

Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk: Review of Lorenz von Stein’s Lehrbuch der Nationalökonomie (1888)

Böhm-Bawerk’s brief review of Stein’s third revised edition emphasizes literary vitality and continuing public appeal. He treats the new edition as evidence that Stein’s reputation, established through his work on finance and administration, also extends to political economy. The emphasis falls on his ability to engage educated readers, not on the textbook’s particular theoretical claims.

Die Vorzüge seiner Schreibweise sind so bekannt, dass es überflüssig wäre, sie von Neuem aufzuzählen.

English translation: The merits of his manner of writing are so well known that it would be superfluous to enumerate them anew.

This appeal to the acknowledged merits of Stein’s style substitutes shared recognition for detailed evaluation. The concluding praise similarly stresses the textbook’s freshness and liveliness, linking these qualities to Stein’s distinctive intellectual personality despite his advanced age. Without examining specific revisions or economic doctrines, the review recognizes the enduring force of Stein’s authorship. Its appreciative judgment concerns his expressive power and readership more directly than the substance of his economic theory.