On Marshall’s presumed idealism: A note on The Intellectual Foundations of Alfred Marshall’s Economic Science. A Rounded Globe of Knowledge by Simon Cook

In his book Cook maintains that throughout his life Marshall was a convinced idealist, under the early influence of Ferrier, later strengthened by his reading of Hegel. The article aims to show that this interpretation is based on a misunderstanding since Marshall's interest in Hegelian philosophy is associated with his endorsement of Spencer's evolutionism, rather than with Ferrier's dualistic philosophy. This interpretation stems from, and leads to, a completely different assessment of Marshall's early philosophical papers and their impact on Marshall's economics and social thought.