This work investigates the intellectual development and institutional influence of the Oxford school of economists during the late nineteenth century. Alon Kadish, a scholar of economic history, examines how this specific group of academics navigated the transition from classical political economy to more modern, specialized social science. By analyzing the institutional constraints of the University of Oxford and the broader socio-political climate of Victorian England, the author argues that these figures played a critical role in shaping the trajectory of economic thought in Britain.

Experts recognize this monograph as a rigorous contribution to the history of economic thought, particularly for its focus on the institutional context of academic development. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a specialized resource for historians and economists interested in the Victorian era.