economics: Ancient and Medieval Periods

The first attempts to analyze economic problems appear in the writings of the ancient Greeks. Plato recognized the economic basis of social life and in his Republic organized a model society on the basis of a careful division of labor. Aristotle, too, attributed great importance to economic security as the basis for social and political health and saw the owner of a middle-sized plot of land as the ideal citizen. Roman writers such as Cicero, Vergil, and Varro gave significant advice about the economics of agriculture. The medieval period was marked by the disruption of the flourishing commerce of the ancient world, and its economic life was dominated by feudalism. Economic writings of the age focus on the just price for goods and criticism of usury.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Since World War II
• Keynes
• Further Evolution of Classical Economics
• The Socialists and Marx
• Malthus, Ricardo, and Mill
• Mercantilism, the Physiocrats, and Adam Smith
• Ancient and Medieval Periods
• Bibliography

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