A history of the emergence of development economics as a distinct sub-discipline.

W. Arthur Lewis was one of the foremost intellectuals, economists, and political activists of the twentieth century. In this book, the first intellectual biography of Lewis, Robert Tignor traces Lewis's life from its beginnings on the small island of St. Lucia to Lewis's arrival at Princeton University in the early 1960s. A chronicle of Lewis's unfailing efforts to promote racial justice and decolonization, it provides a history of development economics as seen through the life of one of its most important founders. If there were a record for the number of "firsts" achieved by one man during his lifetime, Lewis would be a contender. He was the first black professor in a British university and also at Princeton University and the first person of African descent to win a Nobel Prize in a field other than literature or peace. His writings, which included his book The Theory of Economic Growth, were among the first to describe the field of development economics. Quickly gaining the attention of the leadership of colonized territories, he helped develop blueprints for the changing relationship between the former colonies and their former rulers. He made significant contributions to Ghana's quest for economic growth and the West Indies' desire to create a first-class institution of higher learning serving all of the Anglophone territories in the Caribbean. This book, based on Lewis's personal papers, provides a new view of this renowned economist and his impact on economic growth in the twentieth century. It will intrigue not only students of development economics but also anyone interested in colonialism and decolonization, and justice for the poor in third-world countries.

This book explores the history of economic development thought, with an emphasis on alternative approaches in macro development economics. Given that the pioneers of development economics in the 1940s and 1950s drew inspiration from classical political economists, this book opens with a review of key classical scholars who wrote about the progress of the wealth of nations. In reviewing the thinking of the pioneers and those that followed, both their theories of development and underdevelopment are discussed. Overall, the book charts the evolution of development economic thought from the early developmentalists and structuralists, through to the neo-Marxist approach and radical development theory, the neo-liberal counter revolution, and the debate between new developmentalists and neo-liberal scholars. It ends with an assessment of the state of the field today. This book will be of interest to all scholars and students interested in the evolution of development economics.

This edited volume examines the relationship between economic ideas, economic policies and development institutions, analysing the cases of 11 peripheral countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It sheds light on the obstacles that have prevented the sustained economic growth of these countries and examines the origins of national and regional approaches to development. The chapters present a fascinating insight into the ideas and visions in the different locations, with the overarching categories of economic nationalism and economic liberalism and how they have influenced development outcomes. This book will be valuable reading for advanced students and researchers of development economics, the history of economic thought and economic history.

Why Enlightenment culture sparked the Industrial Revolution During the late eighteenth century, innovations in Europe triggered the Industrial Revolution and the sustained economic progress that spread across the globe. While much has been made of the details of the Industrial Revolution, what remains a mystery is why it took place at all. Why did this revolution begin in the West and not elsewhere, and why did it continue, leading to today's unprecedented prosperity? In this groundbreaking book, celebrated economic historian Joel Mokyr argues that a culture of growth specific to early modern Europe and the European Enlightenment laid the foundations for the scientific advances and pioneering inventions that would instigate explosive technological and economic development. Bringing together economics, the history of science and technology, and models of cultural evolution, Mokyr demonstrates that culture—the beliefs, values, and preferences in society that are capable of changing behavior—was a deciding factor in societal transformations. Mokyr looks at the period 1500–1700 to show that a politically fragmented Europe fostered a competitive "market for ideas" and a willingness to investigate the secrets of nature. At the same time, a transnational community of brilliant thinkers known as the “Republic of Letters” freely circulated and distributed ideas and writings. This political fragmentation and the supportive intellectual environment explain how the Industrial Revolution happened in Europe but not China, despite similar levels of technology and intellectual activity. In Europe, heterodox and creative thinkers could find sanctuary in other countries and spread their thinking across borders. In contrast, China’s version of the Enlightenment remained controlled by the ruling elite. Combining ideas from economics and cultural evolution, A Culture of Growth provides startling reasons for why the foundations of our modern economy were laid in the mere two centuries between Columbus and Newton.

Development Economics has been identified as a homogeneous body of theory since the 1950s, concerned both with the study of development issues and with the shaping of more effective policies for less advanced economies. Development Economics in the Twenty-First Century brings together an international contributor team in order to explore the origins and evolution of development economics. This book highlights the different elements of ‘high development theory’ through a precise reconstruction of the different theoretical approaches that developed between the 1950s and the 1970s. These include the theory of balanced and unbalanced growth theory, the debate on international trade, the concept of dualism, dependency theory, structuralism and the analysis of poverty and institutions. The chapters highlight the relevance and usefulness of these analyses for the contemporary theoretical debate on development issues. Comparative perspectives are explored and analysed, including those of Keynes, Hirschman, Krugman and Stiglitz. The chapters situate development economics within current debates among economists and historians of economic thought, providing a platform for future research. This book is suitable for researchers and students with an interest in Development Economics, the History of Economic development and the Economics of Developing Countries.

"Economic Development makes an important contribution of the literature on economic development, especially as it incorporates ideas on a theme that informs our concern for social justice, individual and social freedom, identify, and community."—Winston E. Langley, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science