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The Role of Mortality in the Transmission of Knowledge

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  • Michael Bar
  • Oksana Leukhina

Abstract

We investigate, both theoretically and quantitatively, a previously unexplored link between adult mortality and growth. Our mechanism allocates a central role to individuals as carriers of useful ideas and to personal contact as an important means of passing on the useful ideas to future generations. It thus implies that disrupting a human life will impede the process of knowledge transmission across generations. We embed this mechanism in a simple model of endogenous growth and fertility and use it to study its relevance in the application to the long-run growth experience of England.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Bar & Oksana Leukhina, 2009. "The Role of Mortality in the Transmission of Knowledge," DEGIT Conference Papers c014_021, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    • Handle: RePEc:deg:conpap:c014_021
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    Cited by:

    1. Matteo Cervellati & Uwe Sunde, 2011. "Life expectancy and economic growth: the role of the demographic transition," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 99-133, June.
    2. David de la Croix & Omar Licandro, 2015. "The longevity of famous people from Hammurabi to Einstein," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 263-303, September.
    3. Herzer, Dierk & Nagel, Korbinian, 2019. "The impact of adult and non-adult mortality on development: Two centuries evidence from a panel of industrial countries," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 352-371.
    4. Attar, M. Aykut, 2015. "Entrepreneurship, knowledge, and the industrial revolution," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), vol. 9, pages 1-54.
    5. Annarita BALDANZI & Alberto BUCCI & Klaus PRETTNER, 2016. "The Effects of Health Investments on Human Capital and R&D-Driven Economic Growth," Departmental Working Papers 2016-17, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    6. Herzer, Dierk, 2020. "How does mortality affect innovative activity in the long run?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    7. Moshe Hazan, 2012. "Life expectancy and schooling: new insights from cross-country data," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 25(4), pages 1237-1248, October.
    8. Fiaschi, Davide & Fioroni, Tamara, 2019. "Transition to modern growth in Great Britain: The role of technological progress, adult mortality and factor accumulation," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 472-490.
    9. Baldanzi, Annarita & Bucci, Alberto & Prettner, Klaus, 2017. "Children's health, human capital accumulation, and R&D-based economic growth," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 01-2017, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    10. Iacopetta, Maurizio, 2010. "Phases of economic development and the transitional dynamics of an innovation-education growth model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 317-330, February.
    11. Davide Fiaschi & Tamara Fioroni, 2014. "Transition to Modern Growth: the Role of Technological Progress and Adult Mortality," Discussion Papers 2014/186, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic growth; adult mortality; longevity; knowledge transmission; knowledge creation; ideas; human capital;

    JEL classification:

    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative

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