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The Concept Of An Agricultural Surplus, From Petty To Smith

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  • BREWER, ANTHONY

Abstract

Everyone has to eat, so agriculturalists must produce enough to feed themselves and the rest of the population. This statement is trivially obvious but making it explicit mattered to the early development of economic thinking. Many important economic writers of the period (Petty, Cantillon, Hutcheson, Hume, Steuart, Mirabeau, Smith, and others) used a specific notion of agricultural surplus of the form: x men can feed y, where y > x. A series of questions about the relation between agriculture and the rest of the economy naturally follows. Will the surplus be produced? How does it reach those who consume it? What are the “superfluous hands†(in Hume’s terms) to do? This paper points out this neglected theme in early economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Brewer, Anthony, 2011. "The Concept Of An Agricultural Surplus, From Petty To Smith," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 33(4), pages 487-505, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jhisec:v:33:y:2011:i:04:p:487-505_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Sergio Cesaratto, 2019. "Heterodox economics and Economic Anthropology: reflections prompted by two books," Department of Economics University of Siena 807, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    2. Sergio Cesaratto & Stefano Di Bucchianico, 2020. "The surplus approach, Polanyi and institutions in economic anthropology and archaeology," Department of Economics University of Siena 828, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    3. Sergio Cesaratto & Stefano Di Bucchianico, 2021. "The Surplus Approach, the Polanyian Tradition, and Institutions in Economic Anthropology and Archaeology," Annals of the Fondazione Luigi Einaudi. An Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics, History and Political Science, Fondazione Luigi Einaudi, Torino (Italy), vol. 55(1), pages 185-216, June.
    4. Serrano, Franklin & Mazat, Numa, 2013. "Quesnay and the analysis of the surplus in an agrarian capitalist economy," MPRA Paper 47781, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • B12 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Classical (includes Adam Smith)

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