Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 879 views

    02 History of Economic Thought Preclassical PDF

    Uploaded by

    David Colander

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content

    You might also like

    02 History of Economic Thought Preclassical PDF

    Uploaded by

    David Colander
    879 views21 pages

    Original Title

    02 History of Economic Thought preclassical.pdf

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    879 views21 pages

    02 History of Economic Thought Preclassical PDF

    Uploaded by

    David Colander

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    of 21
    PART ONE Preclassical Economics Williom Petty “Where do we start?" asked the Red Queen. “Start at the beginning,” answered the Dodo. Lewis Caroll Iehough economic activity has been a characteristic of human culture since the dawn of cviliza- tion, there was litle formal analysis of that activity until merchant capitalism developed in Western Europe during the fifteenth century. Atthat time the chiefly agrarian European societies began in- creasingly to trade among themselves, setting the stage for the birth of eco- nomics as a social study. The economic studies ofthis time were not systematic: ‘economic theory evolved piecemeal from individual inelleceual responses to con- ‘temporary problems. No grand analytical systems appeared. It was not until the mid-eighteenth century, with the em gence of “classical economics” under ‘Adam Smith, that economics made si nificant movement toward the status of 2 full-blown social science. Given this reality, our study of the history of economic ideas could begin with classical Smithian economics. But there are other approaches. For example, we could begin around 1200, when the possibilities of economic analysis were first being recognized. Another approach would be to start with major, later writers 3 ‘of the Middle Ages. Yet another would be to take account of the fact that possibly the most significane development in the social sciences has been the realization that it is possible to examine aspects of society analytically. The notion that so- cial structures could be analyzed just as the physical universe could be was eentu- fies in its making and even dates back to ancient Greek thought. Although the Greek philosophers did not recognize that the economy was capable of being analyzed (as they clearly di the political aspects of society), nevertheless their analysis of what were essentially premar- ket societies gave later thinkers a foun dation that made their task easier. The foundations argument suggests yet an- other alternative. Ealier societies often passed on their writings in the form of religious tomes; thus, one could begin an analysis of economic ideas with these very early texts Faced with these alternatives, we have decided to begin with the develop- ment of early non-Western economic thought and Greek thought and then to consider che writings of Arab-slamic thinkers, the scholastics, the mercan- >> 24 Patt tilsts, and the physioerats, but to keep ou: consideration ofthese writings short. Thus, Part Lis shorter than the other sections but long enough to give a sense of the impor tance of the earlier writings. ‘An important reason for examining the preclassical and premercantile ideas of the Chinese, the Greeks, Arab-slamic writers and the medieval schoolmen is to gair insight into some of the more philosophi

    You might also like