In this concise yet comprehensive history, Heinz D. Kurz traces the long arc of economic thought from its emergence in ancient Greece to its systematic presentation among the classical thinkers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to the influential work of scholars such as Paul Samuelson and Kenneth J. Arrow. With a keen eye for how economic insights are acquired, lost, and reborn, Kurz focuses on the dynamic individuals who give old ideas new life and the historical events that provoke different approaches and theories. Over the course of this journey, Kurz explains what Adam Smith meant by the "invisible hand"; how Karl Marx's "law of motion" works in capitalist economies; the roots of the Austrian economists' emphasis on the problems of information, incomplete knowledge, and uncertainty; John Maynard Keynes's principle of effective demand and economic stabilization; and the insights and challenges offered by growth theory, welfare economics, game theory, and more. He concludes with a deft summation of world economists' major concerns today and their critical relation to world events.

This new reader in the history of economic thought is edited by two of the most respected figures in the field. With clearly written summaries putting each selection into context, this book will be of great use to students and lecturers of the history of economic thought as it goes beyond the simple reprinting of articles. Selections and discussions include such thinkers as Aristotle, John Locke, François Quesnay, David Hume, Jean-Baptiste Say, Karl Marx, William Stanley Jevons, Irving Fisher and Thorstein Veblen. The History of Economic Thought: A Reader can be used as a core textbook or as a supplementary text on courses in economic thought and philosophy, and will provide readers with a good foundation in the different schools of thought that run through economics.

This ground-breaking new textbook takes a thematic approach to the history of economic thought, introducing current economic issues and examining the relevant arguments of key economists. By taking this innovative approach, the book sets these pivotal ideas in a contemporary context, helping readers to engage with the material and see the applications to today's society and economy. Based on courses developed by the authors, the text introduces a range of perspectives and encourages critical reflection upon neoclassical economics. Through exposure to a broader spectrum of sometimes conflicting propositions, readers are able to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and relevance of different economic theories. Recharting the History of Economic Thought is an invaluable companion for those taking courses in the History of Economic Thought, the Development of Economic Ideas, Developing Economic Thinking or Economic Thought and Policy. It will also appeal to anyone looking for an introduction to pluralist approaches to economics.