This book explains the importance of the history of economic thought in the curriculum of economists, whereas most discussions of this kind are devoted to explaining why such study is of value simply to the individual economist.

This book provides a historical account of economic theories and doctrines from the physiocrats to modern-day scholars. The book challenges the prevailing verdict of history on the achievements of Smith, and the authors also designate Ricardo and Malthus as pessimists. In this book, the authors offer a perspective on modern theories by connecting them with their historical antecedents. It also provides insight into the development of economic theory across different countries.

Beginning with a re-evaluation of mercantilism, this volume continues with papers on stoicism in the work of Adam Smith, Smith's use of the word natural, a game-theoretical evaluation of the Theory of Moral Sentiments and Wealth of Nations, a textual reinterpretation of Smith's wage theories and the important role of institutions in J.S. Mill's economic analysis. The papers in this collection cover both Smithian classicism and the Ricardo-Marx-Sraffa classicism which is represented here by four papers on the work of Krishna Bharadwaj, a contemporary interpreter of this variant of the classical tradition.

Excerpt from A History of Economic Thought: Social Ideas and Economic Theories, From Quesnay to Keynes Malthus and the Utilitarians. The Population Problem. The Ideological Background: Malthus versus Godwin. The Scientific Core of the Malthusian Theory. Why in the Modern West the Predictions of Malthus Have Not Been Fulfilled. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.