Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

War and Economic Activity

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
War in Economic Theories over Time

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought ((PHET))

  • 436 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter stresses how the prevalent activities in every epoch have conditioned the thought of economists on the theme of war. European national states arose and fixed their frontiers in the 1500s and 1600s through a series of wars. At that time, the interest of the state was that of the monarch. The first economists, the French and English mercantile schools, posed as the main economic problem the power and enrichment of the state, and since the technology in that period made it difficult to produce new wealth rapidly, it was considered much simpler to seize the wealth of other countries. Consequently, as far as the mercantile school was concerned, winning wars was an indispensable way to reach economic goals. War also fostered basic economic activities, such as international trade, which was often aggressive and linked to colonial conquest. If this was the prevalent opinion, starting at the end of the 1600s some economists began to consider the negative effects of aggression in trade and to propose a view of international trade as a pacifying and civilizing activity in which the interest of the buyer and the seller balanced. Later on, at the end of the 1700s, with the start of the process of industrialization that allowed for a noteworthy increase in productivity and production, the English and French free traders held that it was not the power of the state, but the well-being of its citizens, that should be the goal of economic activity. Well-being would be achieved through competition in production in a situation of free trade and international peace. Warfare, as it was then seen, was destined to disappear with progress in economic development. So peace was actively sought later on in the late 1800s and early 1900s when some free trade economists came to sustain that this was the main aim of the economy and engaged, sometimes personally, in pacifist activities (Bastiat, Passy). The thought of economic sociologists during the same period when dealing with the relations between war and economic activity was also important.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anonymous [William Petyt?]. 1680. Britannia Languens, or a Discourse of Trade, in Classical Writings on Economics as Selected by J. R. McCulloch. Vol. I. London 1995, pp. 291–504.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argenson, René-Louis de Voyer de Paulmy, Marquis d’. 1764. Considérations sur le gouvernement ancient et present de la France. Verdun: BnF Gallica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aron, Raymond. 1957. “War and Industrial Society.” Auguste Comte Memorial Trust Lecture 3. London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1962. Paix et guerre entre les nations. Paris: Calmann-Levy.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2009. Peace & War. A Theory of International Relations. New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacon, Francis. [1625] 1944. The Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bastiat, Frédéric. 1849. Paix et liberté ou le budget républicain. Paris: Librairie de Guillaumin et Cie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baudrillart, Henri. 1860. Philosophie de l’économie politique. Des rapports de l’économie politique et de la morale. Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentham, Jeremy. [1838–1843] 1873. The Works of Jeremy Bentham. 11 voll. Edinburgh: John Bowring.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodin, Jean. [1568] 1932. Réponse à M. de Malestroit. Paris: Colin.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. [1576] 1986. Les six livres de la république. Paris: Fayard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boisguillebert, Pierre Le Pesant, Sieur de. [1707] 1966. Traité de la nature,culture, commerce et intérêt de l’argent in Pierre de Boisguillebert ou la naissance de l’économie politique. Paris: Institut National d’Etudes Démographiques.

    Google Scholar 

  • Botero, Giovanni. [1589] 1956. The Reason of State. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cobbett, William. [1807] 1998. The Collected Social and Political Writing of William Cobbett. 17 voll. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cobden, Richard. 1870. Speeches on Questions of Public Policy, vol. 2. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1878. Political Writings. London: William Ridgeway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colbert, Jean-Baptiste. 1861–1882. Lettres, instructions et memoires de Colbert. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comte, Auguste. 1830–1842. Cours de Philosophie Positive. Various Publishers. Also in: BnF Gallica. Edition consulted: Corso di filosofia positiva. 1967. Torino: Utet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dupont De Nemours, Pierre-Samuel. 1769. Du Commerce et de la Compagnie des Indes. Amsterdam. BnF Gallica.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1792. De l’Amour de la Constitution et de celui de la Liberté. Paris: Imprimerie de Dupont.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durkheim, Émile. 1915. La Germania al di sopra di tutto. Il pensiero tedesco e la guerra. Paris: Librairie Armand Colin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, John, and Roland Robinson. 1953. The Imperialism of Free Trade. The Economic History Review 6 (1): 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Genovesi, Antonio. [1765] 1824. Lezioni di Commercio o sia di Economia Civile. Milano: Società tipografica de’ Classici Italiani.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilling, Philippe. 2018. “Economic Non-intervention and Military Non-intervention in John Stuart Mill’s Thought.” In War in the History of Economic Thought, edited by Yukihiro Ikeda and Annalisa Rosselli. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graziosi, Andrea. 2001. Guerra e Rivoluzione in Europa 1905–1956. Bologna: Il Mulino.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hont, István. 2005. Jealousy of Trade. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huet, Pierre-Daniel. 1712. Le grand trésor historique et politique du florissant commerce des Hollandois», dans Tous les états et empires du monde. Paris: F. Fournier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hume, David. [1752] 2000. Political Essays. Milano: Cofide.

    Google Scholar 

  • Infantino, Lorenzo. 1980. Sociologia dell’Imperialismo: Interpretazioni Socialiste. Milano: Franco Angeli.

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Bras-Chopard, Armelle. 1994. Théories et ideologies. Paris: Montchrestien.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malthus, Thomas Robert. [1798] 1826. An Essay on the Principle of Population. London: John Murray.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mann, Michael. 1988. States, War and Capitalism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCulloch, John Ramsay. 1856. Selected Collection of Early English Tracts on Commerce. London: Political Economy Club.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1872. “Introductory Discourse. Rise and Progress of Political Economy Down to the Publication of the Wealth of Nations.” In An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith LL.D, XV–LVI. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1995. Classical Writings on Economics as Selected by J.R. McCulloch. 6 voll. London: William Pickering.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melon, Jean-François. [1734]. Essai Politique sur le Commerce. In Collection des principaux économists. BnF Gallica, translated by David Bindon 1738. A Political Essay Upon Commerce. Dublin: Philip Cramton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercier de La Rivière, Pierre Paul. [1767] 1910. L’Ordre naturel et essentiel des sociétés politiques. Paris: Librairie Paul Geuthner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mill, James. 1808. Commerce Defended. An Answer to the Arguments by Which Mr. Spence, Mr. Corbett and Others, Have Attempted to Prove that Commerce Is Not a Source of National Wealth. London: C. and R. Baldwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1820. Law of Nations. Supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Fifth edition.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 1858. The History of British India. 10 vols. London: Piper, Stephenson and Spence. Reprint by Routledge/Thoemmes Press in London, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mill, John Stuart. [1848 ] 1965. “Principles of Political Economy.” In Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, edited by J. M. Robson, vol. II. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. [1859] 1984. “Essays on Equality, Law and Education.” In Collected Works of John Stuart Mill, edited by J. M. Robson, vol. XXI. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milward, Alan Steele. 1977. War, Economy and Society, 1939–1945. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molinari, Gustave de. 1849. Les soirées de la rue Sain-Lazare. Paris: Guillaumin et Cie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montchrestien, Antoine de. [1615] 1899. Traité de l’économie politique. Paris: P. E. Plon, Nourrit et Cie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat de la Brède et de. [1748] 1950. L’esprit des lois. Paris: Nagel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mun, Thomas. [1664] 1928. Englandʼs Treasure by Forraign Trade. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, Dudley. 1856. “Discourses Upon Trade: Principally Directed to the Case of the Interest, Coynage, Clipping, Increase of Money.” In Selected Collection of Early English Tracts on Commerce, edited by J. R. McCulloch.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmieri, Giuseppe. [1788] 1805. “Riflessioni sulla Pubblica Felicità relativamente al Regno di Napoli.” In Scrittori Italiani di Economia Politica, parte moderna. Milano: Stamperia e Fonderia G.G. Destefanis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pareto, Vilfredo. 1896–1897. Cours d’Économie Politique. Lausanne: Rouge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Passy, Frédéric. 1862. Leçons d’Économie Politique faites à Montpellier. Paris: Librairie Guillaumin et Cie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quesnay, François. [1759] 1888. Œuvres Économiques et Philosophiques. Francfort et Paris: Oncker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricardo, David. [1811–1823] 1899. Letters of David Ricardo to Hutches Thrower and Others 1811–1823. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. [1821] 1971. On the Principles of Political Economy, and Taxation. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, Pellegrino. [1840–1851]. Cours d’économie politique. Bruxelles: Société Thypographique Belge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saint- Simon Claude-Henry de Rouvroy comte de. 1869. Œuvres. II: L’industrie, III: Du sistème industriel. Paris: Dentu. Anastatic edition 1966. Paris: Edition Anthropos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saint- Simon Claude-Henry de Rouvroy comte de, Thierry Augustin. 1814. De la réorganisation de la société européenne ou de la nécessité et des moyennes de rassembler les peuples de l’Europe en un seul corps politique, en conservant à chacun son indépendance nationale. Paris: A. Egron.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savary, Jacques. 1675. Le Parfait Négociant: ou Instructions pour ce qui regarde le Commerce des Merchandises de France et des Pays Étrangers. Paris: Chez Jean Guignard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Say, Jean-Baptiste. 1803. Traité d’économie politique. Paris: Deterville. Translation: 2008. A Treatise on Political Economy. The Ludwig von Mises Institute. Available on BNF Gallica Digital Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. [1828–1829] 1840. Cours complet d’économie politique pratique. Paris: Guillaumin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, Adam. [1776] 2007. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Hampshire: Harriman House LTD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sombart, Werner. [1916] 1927. Der moderne Kapitalimus. Munich and Leipzig: Verlag von Duncker & Humblot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spence, William. 1807. Britain Independent of Commerce. London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, Strand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Temple, William. 1673. An Essay Upon the Advancement of the Trade in Ireland. Dublin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, Josiah. 1763. The Case of Going to War, for the Sake of Procuring, Enlarging or Securing of Trade, Considered in a new light. London: R. and J. Dodslet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanderlint, Jacob. 1734. Money Answers All Things, or an Essay to Make Money Sufficiently Plentiful Among all Ranks of People and Increase Our Foreign and Domestic Trade. London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verri, Pietro. [1760] 1804. Degli Elementi del Commercio. Milano: Stamperia e Fonderia G.G. Destefanis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, Max. [1922] 1978. Economy and Society. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, Quincy. [1942] 1960. A Study of War. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Renata Allio

Authors
  1. Renata Allio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renata Allio .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Allio, R. (2020). War and Economic Activity. In: War in Economic Theories over Time. Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39617-6_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39617-6_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-39616-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-39617-6

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation