The paper shows how William Barber’s background as a development economist influenced his research agenda in the history of economic thought, in terms of the questions he asked and the way he approached them. The links between the history of economic theory and of policy-making are...

This chapter argues that modern readers can benefit from studying the classics today, because the classical approach to studying an economic system in motion under a cumulative process of division of labour offers a superior starting point for analysing salient properties of capitalist market...

The purpose of this contribution is to discuss the analytical contents of the criticisms levelled at J.S. Mill’s theory of the wage fund and accepted by him in his famous "recantation" of 1869. One reason for the interest in the analytical issues that emerged in the criticisms of the wage-fund...

This chapter discusses the possible influence of Bentham on Ricardo's economics through three rendez-vous. The first one was mediated by James Mill: we show that (i) if Mill ever had an influence on Ricardo early in their relationship, he was not yet Benthamian, and (ii) if this influence was to...

This chapter deals with Gramsci's remarks and some potential subjects of discussion with Sraffa about Ricardo, classical political economy and "pure economics". For him, the importance of Ricardo in the formation of Marx's ideas must be reassessed from the point of view of the world’s...

Lewis argued that his 1954 model of economic development in a dual economy was based on the classical framework originally advanced by Smith, Malthus, Ricardo and Marx. The present paper provides a detailed investigation of how Lewis adopted and adapted classical concepts such as...

This textbook introduces and develops new tools to understand the recent economic crisis and how desirable economic policies can be adopted. Gilles provides new institutional concepts for wealth creation, such as network economies, which are based on the social division of labour. This second...

The paper sketches a coherent history of the choice of the measure standard from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations to Sraffa's Production of Commodities. As neither the Smithian labour commanded unit nor the Ricardian-Marxian labour embodied one provide a general solution to the dilemma concerning...

If a short list of keywords had to be proposed in order to explain why John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a great liberal thinker, it would certainly include utility, liberty, and equality. These concepts express his view of liberalism, which lies between classical liberalism and a social, if not...

There is a familiar way to appeal to Adam Smith (1723-1790), the famous philosopher and great economic thinker of the Scottish Enlightenment. He is often considered as the father of modern economics and capitalism. We must also consider the frequent references to him. "What would Adam Smith...

This paper challenges the commonly held view that Smith's moral theory is a subjectivist theory. Smith's test for goodness and rightness - for propriety - is not the approbation of an impartial spectator, but the warranted approbation of such a spectator. Something is right or good not because...

"In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars Britain found itself faced with a stagnant economy. Economist David Ricardo believed that the full re-integration of Britain into the world market would allow for both capital accumulation and population growth, and used arguments that anticipate ideas...

The purpose of this paper is to present the views of various schools of economic thought on the sources of the institutional order of economies. The premises of the theories of constituted and spontaneous economic orders are taken as the criteria on the basis of which the sources of an...

The paper shows how William Barber's background as a development economist influenced his research agenda in the history of economic thought, in terms of the questions he asked and the way he approached them. The links between the history of economic theory and of policy-making are highlighted,...

The purpose of this paper is to present the views of various schools of economic thought on the sources of the institutional order of economies. The premises of the theories of constituted and spontaneous economic orders are taken as the criteria on the basis of which the sources of an...