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The Ancient School of Economic Thought

BY AMOGH SAHU

The Ancient School


Often referred to as the Pre-Classicals

Technically, every society is economic:

- Sumer - Persia - Ancient Greece(focus of Presentation)

Ancient Greece
Considered themselves as poor(relatively)

Highly Dispersed

- No Central Palace Structure - Independent Governments - Decentralized(more free-market compared to Egypt) Had a Currency(Drachma)

Economy of Ancient Greece


Land is the most important factor in the ancient

world. - Agricultural produce is main store of value. Prices were set, rather than allowed to float Economy grew largely through Labor Business class not as prominent as Today

The Greek Economy: A Philosophical Perspective


Moses Finley(American Historian) stated that:

- Oikonomia (household management) was the main source of economic ideology Economy was subordinate to Society and Politics (Communist) Greek value system emphasized collective over individual

Ancient Greek Economic Philosophy Continued


Entrepreneurial Risk taking activities were

condemned. (banausic) - Seen as unnatural and corrupting individualism


Prices were set by personal relationships, rather than by supply and demand.

Model of Greek Economy


Labor

force at height of power (431 B.C.)

305,000

people total 160,000 were citizens (80K men and women, 80 children) 25,000 were free resident foreigners (metics) 120,000 were slaves (outnumbered male citizens 3:1)

Finleys Model

Summary
Generally a Centrally Planned Economy

Values over Profit


Little Entrepreneurship

Ancient Greek Economic Thinkers


Hesiod

Plato
Aristotle Xenophon

Hesiod
Poet

Labor Economist
Wrote about Work in Hours and Days

Works and Days


More Theological than Economic

A Moralistic View of Economic Life


Basic Economic Problem Notions of Competition and Informational Efficiency

Xenophon
Wrote The Economist

Economist=Estate Manager
Landed Estates= Paramount Source of Wealth

Critobulus/Socrates
Critobulus is wealthier than Socrates

He has more friends, lives a fuller life.


Yet Socrates is Wealthier, How?

Oikonomikos
Balance Sheet Concept (Assets/Liablities)

Theory of Effective Organization


More Management than Economics A Model for Macroeconomic Management:

1. Organized Bureaucracy 2. Strong Leadership

Plato
Philosopher

Student of Socrates
Wrote The Republic

Economic Model of the Republic


Moralistic Perspective

Neither Democracy nor Tyranny


Totalitarian State Philosopher Kings would receive no opportunities for

rent-seeking.

Model of the Worker and the Society


The Moral Worker

Static Society based on stability.


Small Administrative Units Planned, Bureaucratic Society based on Scarcity

Aristotle
Wrote on Markets

Had a notion of Justice

Aristotle on Market Interactions


Negotiation between Buyer and Seller

Based on Ethics
Regulated Prices (EOD unresolved)

Aristotles Theory of Justice


What is Justice?

- Return allocated by Capital Invested(Dsitributive Justice) - For any wrongdoing, there is a necessity to use an arithmetic mean to redstribute (Rectificatory Justice) - For any Transaction, Take the HARMONIC MEAN between highest price demanded, and lowest Price Spplied(Exchanging Justice)

Acquisition of Wealth
Estate Management=GOOD

Anti Commerce and Usury(lending money at

Interest) Citizens aim at a good life(Implied: Not a rich life) Aristotle was Anti- Commerce due to unlimited acquisition of Wealth

Conclusion
Moralism and Justice

Planning and Bureaucracy


Order and Organization Anti-Market and Anti-Individual

Value Judgement Economics


Some Ideas of Competition as well as Supply and

Demand.

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