Simons blamed Knight and Viner for recruiting timid, dependent economists

Evidence

Faithful supporters of Hutchins, such as Simons and John Nef, an economic historian, soon embroiled themselves in conflict with the Economics Department. Perhaps because of his warm relationship with Hutchins, Simons entered the fray, upbraiding the “six burghers” for what he thought obstreperous and counterproductive tactics. Apparently, Viner countered with a reprimand of his own, to which Simons rejoined: “You may be right in analyzing my case as a persecution complex. However, … you have recruited many dubious, timid, and diffident persons. This augments your power, for timid souls will not desert even though they regret having joined—you probably don’t need them now anyway; and it increases your moral responsibilities.” — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 725

Categorization

• SEED: Simons’s jab about ‘timid souls will not desert’ could anchor an essay on how intellectual patronage networks produce loyalty rather than independent judgment.
• XREF: connects to: Chicago’s graduate economics rigor came largely from Viner, not Knight — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 98