Divided into two parts, this collection offers a blend of papers of history of economic thought and development economics, and suggests that classical political economy - that strand of thought which goes from Physiocracy to Smith and to Ricardo and Marx - has a precise vision and indeed a precise model of long term development. This book:

• examines the influence that has been exerted by both pre-classical and classical thought on modern day development economics
• provides a synthetic analysis of the classical vision of growth and development from the mercantilist era to physiocracy
• examines Adam Smith's contribution to growth theory
• explores Marxian thinking and ideas, and the political developments that gave rise to state functions in post-war theory.

Including contributions by well known authors such as Eltis, Murphy and Kurz, this significant volume by one of the premier historians of economic thought will be a valuable resource for postgraduates and professionals in the fields of economic history and political economy.