The Division of Labor in Economics: A History

This book provides, for the first time, a systematic and comprehensive narrative of the history of one central idea in economics, namely the division of labour, over the past two and a half millennia, with special focus on that having occurred in the most recent two and a half centuries. Quite contrary to the widely held belief, the idea has a fascinating biography, much richer than that exemplified by the pin-making story that was popularized by Adam Smith's classical work published in 1776.

1. Introduction 2. Pre-Smith Analyses of the Division of Labor 3. The Smithian Economics of the Division of Labor and the Market Process: The Basic Principle 4. Economic Development as Framed in the Smithian Economics of Division of Labor and the Market Process 5. Specialization, Economic Organization and Theory of the Firm 6. Spontaneous Market Order and the Division of Knowledge 7. Alienation as One Major Disadvantage of Labor Specialization 8. Conclusion and Summary