Overview

The global financial crisis has drawn attention to the importance of understanding historical ideas and learning lessons from the past. However, it can sometimes be difficult to trace the connections between old ideas and modern day issues. This textbook traces the evolution of economic ideas from the ancient to the modern world by examining the contributions of the most important scholars to some of the most important ideas in economics. The History of Economic Ideas surveys topics that are important for the understanding of contemporary economic issues, including the ethical foundations of modern economics; ideas regarding property rights; price theory; money and interest; public finance; the theories of business cycles and economic growth; international trade; and issues related to population and resource use. The book’s originality lies in its overall organization, which allows readers to explore the development of ideas on a specific topic in detail. Yet it is brief enough to use alongside the original writings on which it is based. Filled with student-friendly features including a series of ""Did You Know"" facts and end-of-chapter questions, this book is engaging and provides invaluable reading for all students of the history of economic thought and economic issues.

Full Product Details

Author:   Brandon Dupont (Western Washington University, USA)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.060kg
ISBN:  

9781138101333

ISBN 10:   1138101338
Pages:   252
Publication Date:   23 March 2017
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

"List of Illustrations Chapter 1: An Overview of the History of Economic Ideas Why Study the History of Economic Ideas? A Very Brief Summary of 2,000 Years of Economic Ideas References Suggestions for Further Reading and Online Resources Chapter 2: The Ethical Foundations of Economics Chapter Overview The Idea of Justice in Ancient Economic Thought Ethics and Economics in the Scholastic Tradition Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy Utilitarianism in Modern Economics Modern Welfare Economics: Pareto Efficiency and Social Welfare The Ethical Perspectives of Rawls and Sen Insights from Behavioral and Experimental Economics Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 3: Property Rights from Plato to the 21st Century Chapter Overview Theories of Property Rights in the Ancient World The Idea of Property in the Middle Ages 86 Property Rights in the Age of Enlightenment and Classical Economics Karl Marx’s Challenge to the Private Property System Modern Perspectives on Property Rights Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 4: The Emergence of Modern Price Theory Chapter Overview Aristotle's Legacy: Justice in Exchange Just Price In the Roman Law Tradition The Just Price Concept in Scholastic Economic Thought Pre-Classical Theories of Value: Petty, Cantillon, and the Physiocrats The Labor Theory of Value in Classical Economics The Marginalist Revolution 147 Toward Modern Price Theory: Alfred Marshall's Synthesis Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 5: Money, Lending, and Interest Chapter Overview Money and Usury in the Ancient Scholarship Money and Interest in Early Islamic and Christian Scholarship The Changing Perspectives of the 16th Century Usury in Classical Economic Thought Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 6: Public Finance in Historical Perspective Chapter Overview Taxation and Justice in the Ancient World Seventeenth-Century Perspectives The Physiocrats and ""L’Impôt Unique"" Perspectives on Debt and Taxation in Classical Economics Late 19th-Century Perspectives: Knut Wicksell and Henry George The Keynesian Revolution: New Perspectives on Government Borrowing and Taxation The Theory of Optimal Taxation: From Ramsey to Mirrlees The Flat Tax, the Negative Income Tax, and the National Sales Tax Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 7: Depressing Thoughts—Theories of Recessions and Depressions Chapter Overview Pre-Classical Theories of Business Cycles The Classical Theory of Recessions The Economics of Business Cycles Before Keynes: Wicksell and Fisher The Keynesian Revolution The IS-LM Model Countering Keynes: The Austrians and the Monetarists New Keynesians and New Classicals Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 8: Economic Growth Theory in Historical Perspective Chapter Overview Classical Economic Growth Theory Economic Growth as an Evolutionary Process Modern Growth Theory: From Harrod-Domar to Endogenous Growth Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 9: The History of International Trade Theory Chapter Overview Trade Theory in Pre-Classical Economics Mercantilist Trade Doctrine Classical Theories of International Trade Extensions of the Classical Model: Heckscher-Ohlin, Stolper-Samuelson, and the New Trade Theory Empirical Evidence: International Trade and Economic Development Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Chapter 10: Population, Environmental, and Resource Issues in Historical Perspective Chapter Overview Malthusian Population Theory Modern Versions of the Malthusian Theory The Stationary State and the Value of Environmental Amenities William Stanley Jevons and the Coal Question Marshall, Pigou, and the Economics of Externalities The Coase Theorem The Economics of Common Pool Resources Chapter Conclusion Questions for Review and Discussion References Index"

Reviews

Author Information

Brandon Dupont is Associate Professor of Economics at Western Washington University, USA, where he teaches economic history, political economy, and the history of economic thought. His research interests include a variety of topics in American economic history and the history of economic thought.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions