Population, Development and Welfare In the History of Economic Thought

Throughout the history of economic thought, analysis of demographic phenomena is rarely unconnected with consideration of economic development. The relationship between the two has changed through time and its exact nature is still not entirely clear today. The effect of population growth, or decline, on economic development and social welfare is still very much a matter of debate. In this important new volume, Claudia Sunna charts the history of this most important of topics ? from the Mercantilist era until the present day - in which the writings of Malthus, Wicksell, Pareto and Keynes are key.

Chapter 1 - Population Theories in Mercantilist Thought Chapter 2 - A. Smith on Population, Wages and Economic Development Chapter 3 - T. R. Malthus on Population from the Essay to the Principles Chapter 4 - Classical Economists: toward the stationary state Chapter 5 - The critique of the "Law of Population" Chapter 6 - Population in Marginalist and Neoclassical thought Chapter 7 - K. Wicksell: from the "optimum of population" to the steady growth path Chapter 8 - V. Pareto and the "popolazione ottima" Chapter 9 - J. M. Keynes on population, unemployment and economic development Chapter 10 - "Stagnation theories" and the fear of zero population growth Chapter 11 - Population theories in Development Economics Chapter 12 - The theory of demographic transition