Known for its clarity, comprehensiveness, and balance, the latest edition of A History of Economic Theory and Method continues that tradition of excellence. Ekelund and Hébert’s survey provides historical and international contexts for how economic models have served social needs throughout the centuries—beginning with the ancient Greeks through the present time. The authors not only trace ideas that have persisted but skillfully demonstrate that past, discredited ideas also have a way of spawning critical thinking and encouraging new directions in economic analysis. Coverage that distinguishes the Sixth Edition from its predecessors includes a detailed analysis of economic solutions by John Stuart Mill and Edwin Chadwick to problems raised by the Industrial Revolution; the role of psychology and “experiments” in understanding demand and consumer behavior; discussions of modern economic theory as it interrelates with other social sciences; and a close look at the historical development of the critical role of entrepreneurship, both in its productive and unproductive variants. The authors’ creative approach gives readers a feel for the thought processes of the great minds in economics and underscores key ideas impacting contemporary thought and practice. Well-crafted discussions are further enriched by absorbing examples and figures. Thorough suggested reading lists give options for more in-depth explorations by interested readers.

This book describes the history of economic thought, focusing on the development of economic theory from Adam Smith's 'Wealth of Nations' to the late twentieth century. The text concentrates on the most important figures in the history of the economics. The book examines how important economists have reflected on the sometimes conflicting goals of efficient resource use and socially acceptable income distribution.--[book cover].

Shows how economics was once rich, diverse, multidimensional and pluralistic. Details how political economy became economics through the desocialisation and dehistoricisation of the dismal science.

From the ancients to the moderns, questions of economic theory and policy have been an important part of intellectual and public debate, engaging the attention of some of history’s greatest minds. This book brings together readings from more than two thousand years of writings on economic subjects. Through these selections, the reader can see first-hand how the great minds of past grappled with some of the central social and economic issues of their times and, in the process, enhanced our understanding of how economic systems function. This collection of readings covers the major themes that have preoccupied economic thinkers throughout the ages, including price determination and the underpinnings of the market system, monetary theory and policy, international trade and finance, income distribution, and the appropriate role for government within the economic system. These ideas unfold, develop, and change course over time at the hands of scholars such as Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, François Quesnay, David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, William Stanley Jevons, Alfred Marshall, Irving Fisher, Thorstein Veblen, John Maynard Keynes, Milton Friedman, and Paul Samuelson. Each reading has been selected with a view to both enlightening the reader as to the major contributions of the author in question and to giving the reader a broad view of the development of economic thought and analysis over time. This book will be useful for students, scholars, and lay people with an interest in the history of economic thought and the history of ideas generally.