Abstract
The concept of development in the West, which has evolved over a number of years, today can mean quantitative growth, qualitative improvement, and expansion in the capabilities, capacities, and choices of individuals, groups, or states. Development is conceived as more than a quantitative change in some index, such as a higher level of per capita income; it is about being more, not having more. To appreciate the context for Islamic thinking on development, it is helpful to briefly review the historical origins and evolution of the Western concept of development. There are two distinct periods marking the evolution of the development concept in the West: the first period is from 1700 to 1945, covering largely the development of the capitalist economies of the West, and the second is after WWII, focusing on the less-developed economies.1
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Notes
The Evolution of the Western Concept of Development
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© 2010 Abbas Mirakhor and Hossein Askari
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Mirakhor, A., Askari, H. (2010). The Evolution of the Western Concept of Development. In: Islam and the Path to Human and Economic Development. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230110014_1
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