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Economic
Thought
ECON128
Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3
CHAPTER 1: FROM ANTIQUITY TO PRE-ENLIGHTENMENT ERA ........................ 5
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Ancient Greece ................................................................................................. 5
Timeline ............................................................................................................... 5
Ancient Greece .................................................................................................... 5
1.2 The Roman Economy (to Middle Ages) .......................................................... 10
1.3 Religious perspectives .................................................................................... 11
1.4 12th C – Emergency of Universities ................................................................. 13
1.5 Emergence of ‘modern world’ view ................................................................. 14
1.6 The Reformation & Rise of European Nations ................................................ 15
Chapter 1 References ................................................................................................ 17
Introduction
This module will be taught over 12 weeks in the first semester of the first year.
The module will therefore consist of 12 weekly of:
2 hrs live lecture
o Here I will help to introduce you to the characters and theories across
the timeline [Lecture notes are available]
1hr small group seminar with your Academic Advisor
o Here you will discuss answers to questions drawing out themes and
interesting points from the lectures.
This module will be assessed in 3 parts as follows:
• 10% Participation Mark (participating in group discussions & seminars) – this
is confirmed by submitting your notes from the seminar tutorial discussions
WEEKLY. Marks awarded on a pass/ fail basis (with partial marks given in
some circumstances).
o NOTE: Here the mark is awarded from your ‘best 10’ from 11 weeks
submissions.
• 20% ‘Essay marking’ assessment (online test) (discussed in week 7 class)
• 70% Individual Essay Question – 3hr open-book* exam.
*Here open-book refers to 1 A4 folder of notes (of your choosing).
I welcome questions regarding the structure, content and examination of the course
via:
• Questions & Discussion board on CANVAS
• Email: slpa@liverpool.ac.uk
• Academic consultation hours: Mondays 11am-1pm (or email for alternate
drop-in for when I’m on campus) [313, Mulberry Court]
Please refer to the module handbook for more details of the course and your
undergraduate handbook for general details on governance of modules.
The idea is – if we understand how modern economic concepts developed – this can
help us understand them as concepts better and the context in which they were
applied and can be applied.
Course Outline
12 Weekly lectures (2 hours) and small group tutorials (1 hour):
1. From antiquity to pre-enlightenment era
2. The enlightenment era (17th – 18th C)
3. Adam Smith and the framework of Classical economics (18th C)
4. Elaborations and formalisations of Classical economics (Malthus & Ricardo)
(19th C)
5. Classical economics revisionism (John Stuart Mill) (19th C)
6. Marxian economics (Marx & Engels) (19th C)
7. SKILLS WEEK: Essay Writing workshop (Essay assessment)
8. Alfred Marshall & framework of Neoclassical economics (Early 20th C)
9. Variations on neoclassical economics America & Europe (Early 20th C)
10. Money & the Business Cycle, Keynesianism, monetarism and general theory
(Mid 20th C)
11. The rise of Mathematical and applied Economics (mid-late 20th C)
12. Modern Heterodox economics (Contemporary)
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece was organised around city states and is understood historically
through the written work of some of its greatest scholars.
Homer
Homer’s epics (circa 750-725bc) the ‘Illiad’ and ‘Odyssey’ reflected the Mycenaen
(Bronze age) world (1400-1100bc).
Landed estates were the main form of wealth (i.e. via agriculture) and Homer
believed wealth occurred because ‘households’ (families and slaves) were ‘well
ordered’.
Otherwise, war (and tribute) was a major source (e.g. war with Troy) and the martial
arts were seen as heroic, while Trade was seen as a secondary (inferior) means!
Hesiod
Hesiod’s poem (circa 700 bc) ‘Work and days’ is famous for its story about
Pandora’s box and goes on to tell the story of the descent of man from the golden
age of immortals who lived ‘without harsh toil’.
Here Zeus provides prosperity (so ‘morality’ and pleasing Zeus led to prosperity).
Work was required because the gods kept man’s food concealed, thus man trades
off work for leisure to obtain resources.
He thus realized that the basic economic problem is one of scarce resources.
Even suggests competition can stimulate production since it will cause craftsmen to
emulate each other.
Hesiod’s ideal (being a farmer and poet) was agricultural self-sufficiency but without
war to destroy the farmer’s produce.
The Persian wars (492-449bc) united Greece against a common enemy. And
although Athens fell to Persia, Sparta then defeated them a year later (479bc) which
led to a golden age of expansion…
Athens became the leader of a maritime alliance of Greek states and a complex
commercial centre unsurpassed until post-renaissance Europe.
Piracy was overcome in the eastern Mediterranean and trade flourished which
allowed commercial agriculture to flourish and trade in manufacturing to develop.
Therefore activities also associated with commercial society also developed – such
as banking, money-changing, credit, commodity speculation and monopoly trading!
A functioning, regulated economic system not a million miles away from a ‘modern’
economy!
NOTE: Although Athens strengths of trade & sea power led to great advances,
Sparta (their great rival) still relied on agriculture and war still eventually defeated
Athens after the Peloponnesian war (431-404bc).
Plato (c.428/7- 348/7) was also an aristocrat who fought military campaigns before
he wrote ‘Republic’ which attempts to provide a blueprint for the ideal state.
‘Republic’ is famous for the idea of governance by neither extremes of democracy or
tyranny, but ‘Guardians’ (those trained from childhood, forbidden from owning
property, to govern in the interests of all citizens).
However, he also talked about efficiency. Particularly the division of labour – ‘men
should specialise in those activities for which they were naturally suited’. (But also
efficient administration is by disinterested rulers).
Like other philosophers before him he took the endowment of resources as given
(property to be allocated on mathematical grounds) and trade as limited to consumer
goods. There should be no ‘profits’ or payment of ‘interest’!
He founded an academy (c.375bc) to teach the principles of good government to
future statesmen (…several of which still became tyrants!)
Aristotle (Wealth)
Aristotle believed money was essential to solve the barter problem of double
coincidence of wants (a farmer may want shoes but shoemaker not need wheat!)
However, he saw commercial ‘wealth’ (through exchange) as ‘illegitimate’!?
Natural wealth occurred from good estate management, from increasing stock of
goods – i.e. harvests or output from good management choices.
Exchange of surplus for other ‘needed’ things was accepted but wealth through
exchange and usury (lending) was ‘unnatural’ - benefiting at someone else’s
expense.
The life of the ‘polis’ should be a ‘good’ life with limited wants – there should be a
limit on the accumulation of wealth. This sentiment was shared with other Socratic
philosophers (i.e. Xenophon, Plato & Aristotle)
The Koran did not specifically contain economic advice but supported a free market
and espoused taxation in order to support the poor; the prohibition of interest on
loans; regulation of inheritance.
Islamic scholars also provided ‘mirror for princes’ literature advising Government on
efficient commerce and public administration while writings by lawyers & Civil
servants dealt with ‘modern’ issues like pricing, factors influencing consumption and
the supply of goods!
Notable scholars were…
Ibn Rushd (AKA Averroes) (1126-98 near the end of the golden age). His work was
influenced by and critiqued Plato & Aristotle as he sought to establish ethical
principles through reasoned argument (than Koranic doctrine).
This was unpopular and at one point he was banished from Marrakesh and books on
Greek philosophy burned!
He added a 4th function of money to Aristotle’s:
1. Means of exchange
2. Measure of value
3. Store of value for future transactions
4. Liquid reserve of purchasing power
Because of this importance he disagreed with Aristotle that money was a commodity
like any other than could be bent to the ruler’s will as required – it needed to be
constant and true (like Allah) – i.e. ‘fiat’ and should be tightly controlled. (Remind you
of staunch anti-inflationary monetary policists?)
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) – A Moorish-Andalusian migrant to North Africa after
catholic reclaim of Spain who was a civil servant, Jurist, Historian & Diplomat.
He wrote a history of civilisation weaving together economic, political & social
developments which was not so much a religious ‘moral’ perspective, but
explanation of the organisation of society.
He recognised ‘cycles’ in civilisations in which he saw the economic complexity
waxing and waning. Particularly:
The effect of division of labour on productivity
Influences of taste on demand
Choice between consumption and capital accumulation
Impact of profits (and taxation) on production.
Although insightful, it had little impact - as he was writing at the end of the Islamic
golden age it was in Europe that the next major developments would occur.
While Islam dominated the south, Vikings did in the north. Christianity sustained from
monastic cells in Ireland and Northumberland and spread back to France and
Germany.
Feudalism developed - land-owner ‘Barons’ created from lands confiscated from the
church who had military obligations to the King (‘Knights’) when called upon (this
meant the King had an inexpensive military (see Charles Martel).
Monasteries were established in allegiance to the crown to underpin a strong link
between all levels of society.
The combination of military power and disciplined religious orders provided the
‘order’ for European expansion.
Feudal society peaked as the crusades pushed eastwards (re)opening trade, Italian
trading cities helped gold flow. Coins were issued, and great Banking houses
created (see Medicis).
Arrest in the crusades along with the black death contributed to banking collapse in
the 14th C. and the end of Feudalism.
Mercantilism
Nation states seeking to increase power & wealth through industry & commerce via a
positive balance of trade was dubbed ‘Mercantilism’ by historians.
Different nations pursued different policies such as:
Protective tariffs
Increased state revenues by increased economic activity
High employment via trade and control of money supply
Accumulation of national wealth (treasure!)
Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) famously wrote ‘The Prince’ (1513) really about
how rulers can maximise the wealth of city states (not nations).
Cambridge don Sir Thomas Smith (1513-77) wrote ‘A discourse of the common
weal of this realm of England’ discussing the Nation’s major problems of inflation and
the enclosure act.
Inflation
Prior to 16th C. prices fluctuated but didn’t experience long term trend. However,
Inflation arose across Europe at this time.
T. Smith [UK] recognised the difference between nominal and real prices and
blamed inflation on debasement.
Also pointed to market incentives towards wool farming (as wealthy landlords
enclosed land for sheep grazing) creating an agricultural dearth (thus raising food
prices).
Similarly, School of Salamanca [Spain] writers like Martin de Azpilcueta Navarro
(d. 1586) [SPAIN] writing about the problems of usury, prices (inflation) & money
suggested price rises after the discovery of the Indies flooded the Country with Gold
& Silver causing money to fall in value.
Jean Bodin (1530-96) [FRANCE], also identified this influx as the culprit over-riding
previous notions that prices merely reflected scarcity or monopoly.
Summary
This lecture sought to introduce the notion of a shifting philosophy underpinning our
discipline. Like many of the ‘natural sciences’ Economics was discovered and
rediscovered in antiquity and beyond.
This is the largest period of history covered in this module.
Next week we will look at the enlightenment era thinkers
Chapter 1 References
Harrison, L. & Huntington, S., 2000. “Culture Matters: How values shape human
progress”. (Editors) ed. New York: Basic Books.