---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The General Theory was not truly…"
description: "\"The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but merely old and oft-refuted mercantilist and inflationist fallacies dressed up in shiny new ga..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg"
---

#  The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but…

![“The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but merely old and oft-refuted mercantilist and inflationist fallacies dressed up in shiny new garb, replete with newly constructed and largely incomprehensible jargon.” quote by Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg)

> “The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but merely old and oft-refuted mercantilist and inflationist fallacies dressed up in shiny new garb, replete with newly constructed and largely incomprehensible jargon.”

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The General Theory is presented with new jargon but repeats old mercantilist and inflationist ideas.

**In simple terms:** Old ideas repackaged with fancy terms.

Key Takeaway

Question economic buzzwords.

Themes

economics theory revisionism

Mood

skeptical inquisitive

Type

critical analytical

When to use this quote

- academic debate
- policy analysis
- educational curricula
- public discourse

Key Concepts

mercantilism inflation jargon

Questions to Reflect On

- What modern theories echo past fallacies?
- How does jargon affect public understanding?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify nuanced economics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fallacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallacy/) [Jargon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jargon/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/)

## Related quotes

> [Incomprehensible jargon is the hallmark of a profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingman-brewster-jr/incomprehensible-jargon-is-the-hallmark-of-a-profession/)

[Kingman Brewster, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingman-brewster-jr/)

> [Keynes was scarcely a 'revolutionary' in any real sense. He possessed the tactical wit to dress up ancient statist and inflationist fallacies with modern,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/keynes-was-scarcely-a-revolutionary-in-any-real-sense-he-possessed/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Credit card agreements run as long as 30 pages, and it's 30 pages of largely incomprehensible text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/credit-card-agreements-run-as-long-as-30-pages-and-it-s-30-pages-of/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [His jargon conceals, from him, but not from us, the deep, empty hole in his mind. He uses technological language as a substitute for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mitchell/his-jargon-conceals-from-him-but-not-from-us-the-deep-empty-hole-in/)

[Richard Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mitchell/)

> [Politics in the United States consists of the struggle between those whose change has been arrested by success or failure, on one side, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-rosenberg/politics-in-the-united-states-consists-of-the-struggle-between-those/)

[Harold Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-rosenberg/)

> [“Writing is such an industry now. In many ways, that's a good thing, in that it removes all the muse-like mystique and makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies-2/writing-is-such-an-industry-now-in-many-ways-that-s-a-good-thing-in/)

[Russell T. Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies-2/)

> [I think we invent jargon because it saves times talking to one-another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-we-invent-jargon-because-it-saves-times-talking-to-one-another/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Clutter is the disease of American writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-disease-of-american-writing/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Ancient philosophy proposed to mankind an art of living. By contrast, modern philosophy appears above all as the construction of a technical jargon reserved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-hadot/ancient-philosophy-proposed-to-mankind-an-art-of-living-by-contrast/)

[Pierre Hadot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-hadot/)

> [I mean, when you think about it, it's 'bombs bursting in air,' 'rocket's red glare,' it's all kinds of - you know a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-press/i-mean-when-you-think-about-it-it-s-bombs-bursting-in-air-rocket-s/)

[Bill Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-press/)

> [Institutional psychiatry is a continuation of the Inquisition. All that has really changed is the vocabulary and the social style. The vocabulary conforms to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/institutional-psychiatry-is-a-continuation-of-the-inquisition-all/)

[Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/)

> [Writers today must navigate the shifting verbal currents of the post-Gutenberg era. When does jargon end and a new vernacular begin? Where's the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-hale/writers-today-must-navigate-the-shifting-verbal-currents-of-the-post/)

[Constance Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-hale/)

> [Literary theory has become a parody of science, generating its own arcane jargon. In the process, tragically, it discourages love of literature for its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/literary-theory-has-become-a-parody-of-science-generating-its-own/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

> [Jargon seems to be the place where the right brain and the left brain meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kaminer/jargon-seems-to-be-the-place-where-the-right-brain-and-the-left-brain/)

[Wendy Kaminer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-kaminer/)

> [You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-female-kingdoms-in-literature/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

## More by Murray Rothbard

> [I think one of the most important directions to be pursued in the 'sciences of human action' is to develop a natural-law ethics based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-directions-to-be-pursued-in-the/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Since the State necessarily lives by the compulsory confiscation of private capital, and since its expansion necessarily involves ever-greater incursions on private individuals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/since-the-state-necessarily-lives-by-the-compulsory-confiscation-of/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Falling prices through increased production is a wonderful long-run tendency of untrammeled capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/falling-prices-through-increased-production-is-a-wonderful-long-run/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Cops must be unleashed, and allowed to administer instant punishment, subject of course to liability when they are in error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/cops-must-be-unleashed-and-allowed-to-administer-instant-punishment/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Subjectivism is not an absolute principle; it is a necessary but not sufficient condition for sound methodology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/subjectivism-is-not-an-absolute-principle-it-is-a-necessary-but-not/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [We must therefore turn to history for enlightenment; here we find that none of the proclaimed anarchist groups correspond to the libertarian position, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/we-must-therefore-turn-to-history-for-enlightenment-here-we-find-that/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [John Stuart was the quintessence of soft rather than hardcore, a woolly minded man of mush in striking contrast to his steel-edged father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/john-stuart-was-the-quintessence-of-soft-rather-than-hardcore-a/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [What do intellectuals and opinion makers get from big government? An increasing number of cushy jobs in the bureaucracy, or in the government-subsidized sector,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/what-do-intellectuals-and-opinion-makers-get-from-big-government-an/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [The major reason for Keynes's rejection of communism was simply that he could scarcely identify with the grubby proletariat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-major-reason-for-keynes-s-rejection-of-communism-was-simply-that/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Liberty and morality had to win their way slowly over many centuries, until finally expanding liberty made possible the great technological advance of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/liberty-and-morality-had-to-win-their-way-slowly-over-many-centuries/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [The State has invariably shown a striking talent for the expansion of its powers beyond any limits that might be imposed upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-state-has-invariably-shown-a-striking-talent-for-the-expansion-of/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Absolute freedom need not be lost as the price we must pay for the advent of civilization; men are born free, and need never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/absolute-freedom-need-not-be-lost-as-the-price-we-must-pay-for-the/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [Absolute freedom need not be lost as the price we must pay for the advent of civilization. Man may achieve liberty and abundance, freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/absolute-freedom-need-not-be-lost-as-the-price-we-must-pay-for-the-2/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [The underconsumptionist of 1819 believed that consumption would be stimulated by tariffs, while the underconsumptionist of a later day urged monetary expansion as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-underconsumptionist-of-1819-believed-that-consumption-would-be/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

[Explore all 227 Murray Rothbard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

## More Dressed up quotes

> [I had two sisters, and we would love to get dressed up and pretend that we were chic, sophisticated ladies. And I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-farrell/i-had-two-sisters-and-we-would-love-to-get-dressed-up-and-pretend/)

[Suzanne Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-farrell/)

> [I don't spend my life getting dressed! I have to put clothes on during the day; I don't get dressed up at all when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-spend-my-life-getting-dressed-i-have-to-put-clothes-on-during/)

[Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/)

> [I dont normally like getting dressed up, but when I go to events, I like to look put together. Ive got to say, getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-dont-normally-like-getting-dressed-up-but-when-i-go-to-events-i/)

[Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/)

> [Coming from Haiti and growing up in Brooklyn, there's a lot of European influence when I get dressed up. I wear a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/coming-from-haiti-and-growing-up-in-brooklyn-there-s-a-lot-of/)

[Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/)

> [I used to sit near Marilyn Monroe in the Actor's Studio. She'd get dressed up because that was her identity. Sad. Those cameras wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-roberts/i-used-to-sit-near-marilyn-monroe-in-the-actor-s-studio-she-d-get/)

[Doris Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-roberts/)

> [If I go up to Harlem or down to Sixth Street, and I'm not dressed up or I'm not wearing my jewelry, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-astor/if-i-go-up-to-harlem-or-down-to-sixth-street-and-i-m-not-dressed-up/)

[Brooke Astor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-astor/)

> [I really hate the duties of being a celebrity, like getting dressed up for the red carpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/america-ferrera/i-really-hate-the-duties-of-being-a-celebrity-like-getting-dressed-up/)

[America Ferrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/america-ferrera/)

> [In high school I spent most of my time in jeans and T-shirts or Juicy sweats. We're such a laid-back town. I mean, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-conrad/in-high-school-i-spent-most-of-my-time-in-jeans-and-t-shirts-or-juicy/)

[Lauren Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-conrad/)

> [I went to tranny bars and kind of got used to being around that and then getting dressed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/i-went-to-tranny-bars-and-kind-of-got-used-to-being-around-that-and/)

[Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/)

> [When the Founders thought of democracy, they saw democracy in the political sphere - a sphere strictly limited by the Constitution's well-defined and enumerated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/when-the-founders-thought-of-democracy-they-saw-democracy-in-the/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

> [“If I waited for a proper occasion to dress up, I'd never wear half of these clothes. Put on the clothes and you make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-kelly/if-i-waited-for-a-proper-occasion-to-dress-up-i-d-never-wear-half-of/)

[Erin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-kelly/)

> [You meditate and then you can put on your pajamas, or you can imagine you're wearing your pajamas, and you talk about your piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/you-meditate-and-then-you-can-put-on-your-pajamas-or-you-can-imagine/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [She and my uncle were very sociable and would have a lot of people over at night to play cards or whatever. The high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fletcher/she-and-my-uncle-were-very-sociable-and-would-have-a-lot-of-people/)

[Louise Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fletcher/)

> [I do love getting dressed up, but sometimes it's glam and edgy mixed together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-justice/i-do-love-getting-dressed-up-but-sometimes-it-s-glam-and-edgy-mixed/)

[Victoria Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-justice/)

> [I get all dressed up with that Marianne Faithfull face, and the next thing I know, I'm blurting out things that I shouldn't, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-faithfull/i-get-all-dressed-up-with-that-marianne-faithfull-face-and-the-next/)

[Marianne Faithfull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-faithfull/)

Browse all 200 Dressed up quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but merely old and oft-refuted mercantilist and inflationist fallacies dressed up in shiny new garb, replete with newly constructed and largely incomprehensible jargon.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Murray Rothbard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolutionary-at-all-but-merely-old/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dressed up"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolutionary-at-all-but-merely-old/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/murray-rothbard-1563_dressed-up_the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolut_952879.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The General Theory was not truly revolutionary at all but merely old and oft-refuted mercantilist and…” — Murray Rothbard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Murray Rothbard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The General Theory was not truly...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolutionary-at-all-but-merely-old/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/the-general-theory-was-not-truly-revolutionary-at-all-but-merely-old/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
