Supervised by the late Barry Hindess, I wrote my PhD on the history of economic thought in Britain, focusing on how the rise of political economy changed political discourse. My current research continues this inquiry but in relaton to the emergence of the political economist as a distinctive intellectual persona, focusing on Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, and David Ricardo. A major result has been to clarify the nature of the opposition that greeted the first economists. In short, 'theorising' had not been established as a prestigious activity; the presumption of intellectuals to reform their societies on the basis of 'theory' was perceived as an instance of philosophical enthusiasm, an intellectual pathology thought to underlie the French Revolution. Political economists responded to this opposition in divergent ways, producing fractiousness within their own ranks.
The long-range hypothesis to test in future work is that these teething issues were never resolved, with the result that the office of the economist in relation to government has never been stabilised by the development of a set of professional ethics and disciplines internal to economics of the type that lawyers and doctors innovated. If correct, this suggests that, while some economists have been domesticated by the imposition of bureaucratic offices, as for those working in central banks and treasury departments, most economists continue to roam wild, leaving our political institutions as exposed to their enthusiasm/truth as they were 200 years ago. The key statement of the initial stage of this research is Before Method and Models (Oxford, 2021). A series of subsidiary findings are published in Modern Intellectual History, Journal of the History of Ideas, Historical Journal, and Intellectual History Review.
Book: Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2021). Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo. New York, NY United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197603055.001.0001
Journal Article: Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment
Walter, Ryan (2020). Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment. Rethinking History, 24 (3-4), 481-502. doi: 10.1080/13642529.2020.1822662
Journal Article: Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited
Walter, Ryan (2020). Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited. Critical Historical Studies, 7 (2), 271-295. doi: 10.1086/710696
Journal Article: Office, political theory, and the political theorist
Kearns, David and Walter, Ryan (2020). Office, political theory, and the political theorist. The Historical Journal, 63 (2), 317-337. doi: 10.1017/s0018246x19000220
Journal Article: Defending political theory after Burke: Stewart's intellectual disciplines and the demotion of practice
Walter, Ryan (2019). Defending political theory after Burke: Stewart's intellectual disciplines and the demotion of practice. Journal of the History of Ideas, 80 (3), 387-408. doi: 10.1353/jhi.2019.0028
Journal Article: The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory
Walter, Ryan (2019). The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory. Intellectual History Review, 29 (3), 467-488. doi: 10.1080/17496977.2018.1526452
Journal Article: The enthusiasm of David Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2018). The enthusiasm of David Ricardo. Modern Intellectual History, 15 (2), 1-29. doi: 10.1017/S1479244316000044
Journal Article: Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis
Walter, Ryan (2017). Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis. Political Studies, 65 (2), 300-315. doi: 10.1177/0032321716651898
Journal Article: Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry
Walter, Ryan (2016). Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry. Global Intellectual History, 1 (1), 61-82. doi: 10.1080/23801883.2016.1228180
Journal Article: From theory to history: Keith Tribe’s Land, labour and economic discourse and The economy of the word
Walter, Ryan (2016). From theory to history: Keith Tribe’s Land, labour and economic discourse and The economy of the word. Economy and Society, 45 (3-4), 537-546. doi: 10.1080/03085147.2016.1240517
Journal Article: Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests
Walter, Ryan (2015). Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests. History of European Ideas, 41 (4), 489-506. doi: 10.1080/01916599.2014.926659
Book: A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies
Walter, Ryan (2011). A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203806111
(2014–2018) Australian National University
The rise of the national economic interest
(2014–2016) ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
(2010) UQ Early Career Researcher
Small is Beautiful: Knowledge Sharing Dynamics in Indonesia's Puskesmas Model of Primary Health Care
(2023) Doctor Philosophy
Keynes, Keyserling, and the Intellectual Origins of the Employment Act 1946
Doctor Philosophy
A Game Theoretic Analysis of the OECD's Use of Competition in the International Tax Domain
Doctor Philosophy
The History of Political Theory
I am currently investigating the history of political theory, building on Ian Hunter's "History of Theory" work. Early results have been published in Modern Intellectual History (2018). The leading finding so far is that the first "political theorists" were greeted with hostility because their presumption to remodel their societies on the basis of abstract reason was construed in relation to "enthusiasm" - a pathology affecting the mind by which it becomes enchanted with its own creations, above all, intellectual systems and dazzling ideas. These results suggest that a crucial line for further research to pursue is the means by which "theorists" achieved the status and prestige that they enjoy today.
The History of Liberalism
My recent work loosely tracks the history of "liberalism", but with extreme scepticism towards the usefulness of that category. In short, the aim is to reject the lazy assertion that ideas make the world and instead track those texts and arts of reasoning that achieved institutional and political traction. This, in turn, requires focusing on texts and their reception histories, alongside investigating the personnel who staffed the liberal-democratic state. While my chief interest is in the role of political economists in shaping parliamentary deliberation and reform in nineteenth-century Britain - see the Bullion Controversy, Poor Laws, and Corn Laws - the bigger vision will need to take in party politicians, lawyers, and bureaucrats. Early results have been published in Intellectual History Review (2018).
Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2021). Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo. New York, NY United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197603055.001.0001
Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment
Walter, Ryan (2020). Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment. Rethinking History, 24 (3-4), 481-502. doi: 10.1080/13642529.2020.1822662
Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited
Walter, Ryan (2020). Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited. Critical Historical Studies, 7 (2), 271-295. doi: 10.1086/710696
Office, political theory, and the political theorist
Kearns, David and Walter, Ryan (2020). Office, political theory, and the political theorist. The Historical Journal, 63 (2), 317-337. doi: 10.1017/s0018246x19000220
Walter, Ryan (2019). Defending political theory after Burke: Stewart's intellectual disciplines and the demotion of practice. Journal of the History of Ideas, 80 (3), 387-408. doi: 10.1353/jhi.2019.0028
The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory
Walter, Ryan (2019). The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory. Intellectual History Review, 29 (3), 467-488. doi: 10.1080/17496977.2018.1526452
The enthusiasm of David Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2018). The enthusiasm of David Ricardo. Modern Intellectual History, 15 (2), 1-29. doi: 10.1017/S1479244316000044
Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis
Walter, Ryan (2017). Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis. Political Studies, 65 (2), 300-315. doi: 10.1177/0032321716651898
Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry
Walter, Ryan (2016). Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry. Global Intellectual History, 1 (1), 61-82. doi: 10.1080/23801883.2016.1228180
Walter, Ryan (2016). From theory to history: Keith Tribe’s Land, labour and economic discourse and The economy of the word. Economy and Society, 45 (3-4), 537-546. doi: 10.1080/03085147.2016.1240517
Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests
Walter, Ryan (2015). Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests. History of European Ideas, 41 (4), 489-506. doi: 10.1080/01916599.2014.926659
A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies
Walter, Ryan (2011). A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203806111
Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2021). Before method and models: the political economy of Malthus and Ricardo. New York, NY United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197603055.001.0001
Studies in Australian Political Rhetoric
Uhr, John and Walter, Ryan eds. (2014). Studies in Australian Political Rhetoric. Canberra, ACT, Australia: ANU E Press.
A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies
Walter, Ryan (2011). A critical history of the economy: on the birth of the national and international economies. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203806111
Walter, Ryan (2022). Blood for Ghost Malthus: Assessing Angelo Messedaglia's Criticisms of Robert Malthus's Principle of Population. La Scienza Come Dovere Civile: Due Scritti di Angelo Messedaglia. (pp. 1-16) edited by Sergio Noto. Firenze, Italy: Olschki.
Malthus’s principle of population in Britain: restatement and antiquation
Walter, Ryan (2020). Malthus’s principle of population in Britain: restatement and antiquation. Malthus across nations: the reception of Thomas Robert Malthus in Europe, America and Japan. (pp. 18-52) edited by Gilbert Faccarello, Masashi Izumo and Hiromi Morishita. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788977579.00006
Economic management, rhetorical tactics, and the cost of promises
Walter, Ryan (2014). Economic management, rhetorical tactics, and the cost of promises. Studies in Australian political rhetoric. (pp. 33-62) edited by John Uhr and Ryan Walter. Canberra A.C.T., Australia: ANU E Press.
Linguagem, contexto e história do pensamento econômico: antes da economia ter sua própria língua
Walter, Ryan (2023). Linguagem, contexto e história do pensamento econômico: antes da economia ter sua própria língua. História Econômica e História de Empresas, 26 (2), 523-540. doi: 10.29182/hehe.v26i2.931
Walter, Ryan (2023). Review of recovering classical liberal political economy: natural rights and the harmony of interests. History of European Ideas, 49 (4), 778-780. doi: 10.1080/01916599.2023.2196310
Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment
Walter, Ryan (2020). Malthus's sacred history: outflanking civil history in the late Enlightenment. Rethinking History, 24 (3-4), 481-502. doi: 10.1080/13642529.2020.1822662
Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited
Walter, Ryan (2020). Conservative politics and laissez-faire economics?: The Burke-Smith problem revisited. Critical Historical Studies, 7 (2), 271-295. doi: 10.1086/710696
Office, political theory, and the political theorist
Kearns, David and Walter, Ryan (2020). Office, political theory, and the political theorist. The Historical Journal, 63 (2), 317-337. doi: 10.1017/s0018246x19000220
Walter, Ryan (2019). Defending political theory after Burke: Stewart's intellectual disciplines and the demotion of practice. Journal of the History of Ideas, 80 (3), 387-408. doi: 10.1353/jhi.2019.0028
The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory
Walter, Ryan (2019). The Bullion Controversy and the history of political thought: experience, innovation and theory. Intellectual History Review, 29 (3), 467-488. doi: 10.1080/17496977.2018.1526452
In search of the two-handed economist: ideology, methodology and marketing in economics
Walter, Ryan (2018). In search of the two-handed economist: ideology, methodology and marketing in economics. Economic and Labour Relations Review, 29 (3), 367-371. doi: 10.1177/1035304618781655
The enthusiasm of David Ricardo
Walter, Ryan (2018). The enthusiasm of David Ricardo. Modern Intellectual History, 15 (2), 1-29. doi: 10.1017/S1479244316000044
Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis
Walter, Ryan (2017). Rhetoric or deliberation? The case for rhetorical political analysis. Political Studies, 65 (2), 300-315. doi: 10.1177/0032321716651898
Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry
Walter, Ryan (2016). Adam Smith’s free trade casuistry. Global Intellectual History, 1 (1), 61-82. doi: 10.1080/23801883.2016.1228180
Walter, Ryan (2016). From theory to history: Keith Tribe’s Land, labour and economic discourse and The economy of the word. Economy and Society, 45 (3-4), 537-546. doi: 10.1080/03085147.2016.1240517
Devetak, Richard and Walter, Ryan (2016). The critical theorist's labour: empirical or philosophical historiography for international relations?. Globalizations, 13 (5), 1-12. doi: 10.1080/14747731.2015.1133527
Utilitarianism and Malthus' virtue ethics: respectable, virtuous and happy
Walter, Ryan (2016). Utilitarianism and Malthus' virtue ethics: respectable, virtuous and happy. European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 23 (1), 159-164. doi: 10.1080/09672567.2015.1074824
Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests
Walter, Ryan (2015). Slingsby Bethel's Analysis of State Interests. History of European Ideas, 41 (4), 489-506. doi: 10.1080/01916599.2014.926659
The Rhetorical Standards of Public Reason in Australia
Walter, Ryan and Uhr, John (2015). The Rhetorical Standards of Public Reason in Australia. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 61 (2), 248-262. doi: 10.1111/ajph.12100
A Review of “Adam Ferguson in the Scottish Enlightenment: The Roman Past and Europe's Future”
Walter, Ryan (2015). A Review of “Adam Ferguson in the Scottish Enlightenment: The Roman Past and Europe's Future”. European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 22 (1), 135-140. doi: 10.1080/09672567.2014.924701
Budget talk: rhetorical constraints and contests
Walter, Ryan and Uhr, John (2013). Budget talk: rhetorical constraints and contests. Australian Journal of Political Science, 48 (4), 431-444. doi: 10.1080/10361146.2013.837426
Foundations of modern international thought
Walter, Ryan (2013). Foundations of modern international thought. The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 20 (3), 513-517. doi: 10.1080/09672567.2013.795359
Review of Iara Vigo de Lima’s Foucault’s archaeology of political economy
Walter, Ryan (2012). Review of Iara Vigo de Lima’s Foucault’s archaeology of political economy. Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 5 (1), 106-111.
Walter, Ryan (2011). States and markets. Review of International Studies, 37 (2), 691-713. doi: 10.1017/S026021051000094X
Hobbes, liberalism, and political technique
Walter, Ryan (2011). Hobbes, liberalism, and political technique. European legacy-toward new paradigms, 16 (1), 53-69. doi: 10.1080/10848770.2011.543374
Politics and economics: Beyond the contamination thesis
Walter, Ryan (2011). Politics and economics: Beyond the contamination thesis. Contemporary Political Theory, 10 (4), 444-462. doi: 10.1057/cpt.2010.35
The Analysis of Interest and the History of Economic Thought
Walter, Ryan (2011). The Analysis of Interest and the History of Economic Thought. Parergon: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, 28 (2), 129-147. doi: 10.1353/pgn.2011.0090
Foucault and radical deliberative democracy
Walter, Ryan (2008). Foucault and radical deliberative democracy. Australian Journal of Political Science, 43 (3), 531-546. doi: 10.1080/10361140802267290
The economy and Pocock's political economy
Walter, Ryan (2008). The economy and Pocock's political economy. History of European Ideas, 34 (3), 334-344. doi: 10.1016/j.histeuroideas.2007.12.010
Reconciling Foucault and Skinner on the state: The primacy of politics?
Walter, Ryan (2008). Reconciling Foucault and Skinner on the state: The primacy of politics?. History of the Human Sciences, 21 (3), 94-114. doi: 10.1177/0952695108093955
Governmentality accounts of the economy: A liberal bias?
Walter, Ryan (2008). Governmentality accounts of the economy: A liberal bias?. Economy and Society, 37 (1), 94-114. doi: 10.1080/03085140701760890
Walter, Ryan (2022, 12 01). University-made economics Australian Book Review
(2014–2018) Australian National University
The rise of the national economic interest
(2014–2016) ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
(2010) UQ Early Career Researcher
Keynes, Keyserling, and the Intellectual Origins of the Employment Act 1946
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
A Game Theoretic Analysis of the OECD's Use of Competition in the International Tax Domain
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The Politics of Central Bank Approaches to Climate Change in East Asia and the West
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Small is Beautiful: Knowledge Sharing Dynamics in Indonesia's Puskesmas Model of Primary Health Care
(2023) Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
(2022) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Short-termism in varieties of capitalism
(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
(2020) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2018) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2017) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
The History of Political Theory
I am currently investigating the history of political theory, building on Ian Hunter's "History of Theory" work. Early results have been published in Modern Intellectual History (2018). The leading finding so far is that the first "political theorists" were greeted with hostility because their presumption to remodel their societies on the basis of abstract reason was construed in relation to "enthusiasm" - a pathology affecting the mind by which it becomes enchanted with its own creations, above all, intellectual systems and dazzling ideas. These results suggest that a crucial line for further research to pursue is the means by which "theorists" achieved the status and prestige that they enjoy today.
The History of Liberalism
My recent work loosely tracks the history of "liberalism", but with extreme scepticism towards the usefulness of that category. In short, the aim is to reject the lazy assertion that ideas make the world and instead track those texts and arts of reasoning that achieved institutional and political traction. This, in turn, requires focusing on texts and their reception histories, alongside investigating the personnel who staffed the liberal-democratic state. While my chief interest is in the role of political economists in shaping parliamentary deliberation and reform in nineteenth-century Britain - see the Bullion Controversy, Poor Laws, and Corn Laws - the bigger vision will need to take in party politicians, lawyers, and bureaucrats. Early results have been published in Intellectual History Review (2018).