The paper presents a survey of the complex relation between the production of primary commodities and economic growth throughout the history of economic thought. Some of the main topics investigated are: the apparent contrast between the theoretical advantages of natural wealth and the...

This paper has two main goals. The first is to study the links between the "new" economic theories, this is, the "new" trade theory, the "new" growth theory and the "new" economic geography. These are three apparently distinct strands of economics, yet they have a common motivation: the role of...

Kenneth J. Arrow's 1962 article “The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing” is considered as a seminal contribution in endogenous growth theory. However, no history of its origins has been written yet. We aim to fill this gap by studying the genesis of Arrow's article, showing how its...

Modern growth theory derives mostly from Robert Solow's “A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth” (1956). Solow's own interpretation locates the origins of his “Contribution” in his view that the growth model of Roy Harrod implied a tendency toward progressive collapse of the...

Modern growth theory derives mostly from Robert Solow's "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth" (1956). Solow's own interpretation locates the origins of his "Contribution" in his view that the growth model of Roy Harrod implied a tendency toward progressive collapse of the economy. He...

Modern growth theory derives mostly from Robert Solow's "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth" (1956). Solow's own interpretation locates the origins of his "Contribution" in his view that the growth model of Roy Harrod implied a tendency toward progressive collapse of the economy. He...