The history of the SES is reasonably well documented on their own websites, though perhaps with different emphases than we would put on matters.  Very much condensed, the Scottish politician Andrew Maclaren started the groups that became the SES.  His son, the barrister Leon Maclaren, inherited his father's passionate devotion to the causes of social justice, and took over the SES discussion groups, extending the courses from just economics to wider philosophical issues. The Wikipedia page (on 15 Oct 2011) on Leon Maclaren, says most of what there is to be said from there on, I think.

In answer to your question, George, no, Leon Maclaren wasn't interested in vedanta as a source of economic ideas.  His personal trajectory, or quest, evolved from economics and social issues to soteriological matters, and he was interested in vedanta in its own terms, as a source of spiritual ideas that he taught in London, where the SES continued (and perhaps continues?) to teach economics alongside the more soteriological materials that they call "practical philosophy."  They advertise quite widely in the tube and elsewhere in London (like this, which is from Dublin).

The SES took up Krishna Tirthaji Maharaj's book, Vedic Mathematics, in a big way, many years ago, taking it completely at face value as a vedic revelation.  Largely as a result of the SES's championing this material in their schools, a mini industry has grown of books for kids teaching these methods of mental arithmetic, and this has been very well received and extended in India (though there is also a literature of opposition and debunking).  Motilal Banarsidas' shop in Delhi has a couple of shelves of "vedic maths" books.

Best,
Dominik



On 14 October 2011 22:51, George Thompson <gthomgt@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Dominik,

It puzzles me that a School of Economic Science would have been
influenced by such sources.  Is there evidence that these sources had
any interest in economic science?  I'm not very well informed about
them. I'm just curious.

Thanks for passing this on.

George

On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 4:05 PM, Dominik Wujastyk <wujastyk@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> It may bear noting, for those not familiar with the London Sanskrit scene,
> that the St James school was founded by members of, and with organisational
> backing from the School of Economic Science (not the London School of
> Economics).  The SES has roots in the thinking of Henry George and G. I.
> Ouspensky, but was influenced from the 1960s by  Śāntānanda Sarasvatī,
> Śaṅkarācārya of Jyotirmath.  Hence the Sanskrit.  See the historical sketch
> on the SES's website and the SES's own statement in answer to some of its
> critics.  In 2005, the St James school was the subject of a formal enquiry
> relating to its disciplinary practices.
>
> Best,
> Dominik
>
>
>
> On 11 October 2011 23:11, Whitney Cox <wc3@soas.ac.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> I am forwarding this on behalf of the school's head of Sanskrit; please
>> follow the link for more information,
>>
>> best,
>>
>> Whitney Cox
>>
>> St James Senior Boys’ School in Ashford, to the west of London, UK, are
>> advertising a position for a Sanskrit teacher.  Applications can be made
>> directly through the TES
>> website: http://www.tes.co.uk/JobDetailsgold.aspx?ac=3020782&qry=parametrics%3DJOBCATEGORYCODE%7C10804%26SortOrder%3Dsaveddate%26PageNo%3D1&cur=5&rslt=1009&UK=true
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Dr. Whitney Cox
>> Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit
>> Department of the Languages and Cultures of South Asia,
>> School of Oriental and African Studies
>> Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
>> London WC1H 0XG
>
>
>