The history of economic
The history of economic thought deals with different thinkers and theories in the field of political economy and economics from the ancient world to the present day. Although British philosopher Adam Smith is cited by many as the father of modern economics, his ideas built upon a considerable body of work from predecessors in the eighteenth century. They in turn were grappling with ideas received from centuries before and attempting to apply them to a modern setting. In this sense, Smith was an interpreter to his day of ages-old information. Economics was not considered a separate discipline until the nineteenth century. In his works on politics and ethics, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle grappled with the "art" of wealth acquisition and the question of whether property is best left in private or public hands. In medieval times, scholars like Thomas Aquinas argued that it was a moral obligation of businesses to sell goods at a just price. Economic thought evolved from...