HU51431a

The Wealth of Nations. Competition, Trade and Growth in International Perspective

Alexander Nützenadel

Kommentar

Why are some countries rich and others poor? Since Adam Smith's classic study "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" (1776), this question has puzzled economists for more than two centuries. The seminar explores the relationship between growth, trade and competition from three different perspectives. First, we look at the history of the idea of growth and how it has been conceptualised in different historical contexts. This includes the statistical epistemologies that allowed growth to be measured and compared at an aggregate level. Second, we discuss current controversies about the origins of growth, such as the debate on the "Great Divergence" between Europe and Asia or the colonial origins of growth inequalities ("Reversal of Fortunes"). Finally, we will look at the specific social and environmental consequences of growth in the context of what has recently been termed the "Anthopocene". The course does not require any background in statistics or economics, but students will be expected to read and discuss research papers from economics and other social sciences. Schließen

Literaturhinweise

V. Bivar, Historicizing Economic Growth: An Overview of Recent Works. The Historical Journal. 2022;65(5):1470-1489