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The Dawn of Economic Thought in the West and in Russia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2024

Andrei V. Anikin
Andrei V. Anikin*
Affiliation:
U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences
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Extract

The development of the science of economics is closely linked to the structure of capitalism. Even though ancient and medieval thinkers had already stated a certain number of ideas in this domain, the science of economics, in the modern sense of the word, did not truly begin until the 17th Century and the early 18th Century. At that time the methodology for research in the natural sciences was developed, and the first scientific academies and societies were founded (England, France, Prussia, Russia). The initial step in the development of the science of economics occurred in conjunction with this process. Moreover, the ideas of the first economists were, as a general rule, centered on the practical problems and needs of the State. And in that period the prevalent state structure in Europe was the absolute monarchy. Consequently, the first economists were, for the most part, counsellors to the sovereign, authors of studies and reports containing a variety of proposals regarding economic policy. With regard to a great many distinguished economists of the 17th and 18th Centuries, we can speak of them being “men of proposals”.

Type
Research Article
Information
Diogenes , Volume 34 , Issue 135 , September 1986 , pp. 105 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)

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References

1 A. Brückner, Iwan Possochkow, Ideen und Zustände in Russland zur Zeit Peter des Grossen, Leipzig, 1848. This book was also published in Russia.

2 The Encyclopedia Americana, Vol. 27, New York, 1949, p. 291 w, 293 dd.

3 R. Schneider, Die Sprache Pososkovs, Münster, 1973.

4 W. Petty, Ekonomitcheskie i statisticheskie raboty (Economic and statistical works), Moscow, 1940, p. 74.

5 Op. cit., p. 161.

6 It is unnecessary here to cite all the works dealing with William Petty. The present author refers the reader to his own book, published not only in Russian, but also in French and in English: A. Anikine, The Youth of a Science. Economic Thinking Before Marx, Moscow, 1975.

7 A. N. Savine, Vjek Ljoudovika XIV (The age of Louis XIV), Moscow, 1930, p. 225.

8 H. V. D. Roberts, Boisgilbert, Economist of the Reign of Louis XIV, New York, 1935, p. 87.

9 V. O. Kliuchevskij, Kours rousskoj istorii (Course of Russian history), t. IV, Moscow, 1937, p. 117.

10 G. B. Plekhanov, Istorija rousskoj obchtchestvennoj mysli (History of Russian social thinking), Works, t. XXI, Moscow-Leningrad, pp. 135-36.

11 Quoted from Istorija rousskoj ekonomitcheskoj mysli (History of Russian economic thought), t. I, First part, Moscow, 1955, p. 266.

12 William Petty was also involved in inventions, especially in the shipbuilding sector.

13 P. Pavlov-Silvitsskij, "Possochkov", Rousskij biografitcheskij slovar' (Dictionary of Russian biography), t. 14, Saint Petersburg, 1905, p. 618.

14 Ibidem, p. 610.

15 B. B. Kafengaus, I. T. Possochkov, Ghizn i dejatel'nost' (I. T. Possochkov, his life and work), Moscow-Leningrad, Publications of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, 1950, p. 137.

16 I. T. Possochkov, Kniga o skoudnosti i bogatstvje (Book of poverty and of wealth), Moscow, Publications of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, 1951, p. 8.

17 Istorija rousskoj ekonomitcheskoj mysli (Historia of Russian economic thought), t. I, First part, p. 339.

18 L. M. Mordukovitch, ibid, p. 222. See also his article "Possochkov" in the third edition of the Grande encyclopédie soviétique, t. 20.

19 I. T. Possochkov, op. cit., p. 14.

20 Ibid., p. 147, 122, 125.

21 N. A. Dobroliubov, "O Stepeni outchastija narodnosti v razvitii rousskoj literatury" (Popular culture in the development of Russian literature), Izbranye filosfoskie proizvedenija (Selected philosophical works), t. I, Moscow, 1945, p. 105.

22 L. N. Tolstoy, Poln. Sobr. Sotch. (Complete works), t. 17, Moscow, 1936, p. 211.

23 I. T. Possochkov, op. cit., p. 241; B. B. Kafengaus, op. cit., p. 99.

24 See P. Pekarskij, Naouka i literaturav Rossii pri Petre Velikom (Science and literature in Russia under Peter the Great), t. 1, St. Petersburg, 1862, p. 243-247.

25 P. E. Lemontey, Histoire de la Régence, Vol. 1, Paris 1832, p. 342-43; J. Daridan, John Law, père de l'inflation, Paris, 1938, p. 107-08.