A leap forward over the wall: Italian economy and economic thought in the Fifties

May the history of economic thought be a useful device for addressing a sustainable path towards economic and financial recovery from the Great Financial Depression and the nowadays Sovereign Debt Crises? According to Cicero the answer should be predictable: ‘‘Historia, magistra vitae’’, but things are likely to be more difficult. Many economists believe that past financial performances may be misleading in predicting and forecasting the future, being the proof of a weak efficient market. This paper finds its roots in the cultural challenge promoted by the Editorial Board of the Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali to select a sample of its articles published during the Fifties, proposing the analysis of the whole sample and of each single article that may add some interesting evidences about both economic methodologies arising from a comparative study, both specific ideas and reflections which may reveal something valuable for the current economic turmoil.