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Population and economic growth: Ancient and modern

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  • Elise S. Brezis
  • Warren Young

Abstract

This paper focuses on the evolution of the relationship between population and economic growth from Hume to New Growth Theory. In this paper, we show that there were two main views on the subject. There were those who assumed that the relationship between fertility rate and income was positive. On the other hand, there were those who raised the possibility that this linkage did not occur, and they emphasised that an increase in income did not necessarily lead to having more children. Following from Hicks’ methodological precept, the paper will show that their position on the issue was related to a socio-economic fact: the sibship size effect . We show that those who took the view that an increase in income leads to the desire to have more children did not take into consideration the sibship size effect, while those maintaining that there existed a negative relationship introduced into their utility function a sibship size effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Elise S. Brezis & Warren Young, 2016. "Population and economic growth: Ancient and modern," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 246-271, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eujhet:v:23:y:2016:i:2:p:246-271
    DOI: 10.1080/09672567.2014.881897
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. M. G. Marshall, 1998. "Scottish Economic Thought and the High Wage Economy: Hume, Smith and MCCulloch on Wages and Work Motivation," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 45(3), pages 309-328, August.
    2. Elise Brezis & Warren Young, 2003. "The new views on demographic transition: a reassessment of Malthus's and Marx's approach to population," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 25-45.
    3. Oded Galor, 2011. "Unified Growth Theory," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9477.
    4. Marshall, M G, 1998. "Scottish Economic Thought and the High Wage Economy: Hume, Smith and McCulloch on Wages and Work Motivation," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 45(3), pages 309-328, August.
    5. Günter Krause, 2002. "Eugen Dühring in the perspective of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 29(4/5), pages 345-363, September.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • B10 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - General
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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