Douglass North’s Remaking of Economic History: A Critical Appraisal

This article aims to begin to fill a gap in the literature by offering a comprehensive critique of Douglass North’s work with emphasis on his historical studies. After a brief overview of his theoretical contributions, a closer scrutiny of his theory in its application to history is offered. North’s histories are found to be problematic. To resolve the difficulties involved requires a break with his methodology and the supplemented neoclassical economics from which it is drawn.