Divine Providence in Early Modern Economic Thought /
[Book]
Joost Hengstmengel.
Milton :
Routledge,
2019.
1 online resource (257 pages)
Routledge Studies in the History of Economics Ser.
Cover; Half Title; Series Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; The discovery of the economy; A secularization of economic thought?; Aim, scope and outline; Notes; 2. The history of divine providence; Introduction; Classical and Christian origins; Towards Enlightenment: providence contested; Divine enlightenment: providence as popular belief; Preliminary conclusions; Prelude: providence and the economy; Notes; 3. International trade: God's universal economy; Introduction; Origins of the universal economy doctrine
Concluding remarksNotes; 6. Self-interest: the invisible hand of God; Introduction; The Hobbes-Mandeville challenge; The idea of enlightened self-love in moral philosophy; The discovery of the market in political economy; Concluding remarks; Notes; 7. Poverty and inequality: rich and poor God-willed; Introduction; Justifications from theology and philosophy; Economic writers about providence and the poor; Enlightenment, progress and inequality; The rich country-poor country debate; Concluding remarks; Notes; 8. Conclusions; The prevalence of economic providentialism
The rise of economic universalismUniversalism versus jealousy of trade; Providential arguments for free trade; Natural-theological thoughts; Concluding remarks; Notes; 4. Division of labour: the divine ordering of society; Introduction; The theological background of specialization; The division of labour in political economy; Concluding remarks; Notes; 5. Value and price: a providential abundance of necessities; Introduction; Ancient and medieval origins; Rediscovery in natural-law philosophy; The water-diamonds paradox in political economy; Natural theology and the niggardliness of nature
The role and secularization of providenceAdam Smith and modern economics; Notes; Bibliography; Index
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In this important volume, Joost Hengstmengel examines the doctrine of divine providence and how it served as explanation and justification in economic debates in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries throughout Western Europe. The author discusses five different areas in which God was associated with the economy: international trade, division of labour, value and price, self-interest, and poverty and inequality. Ultimately, it is shown that theological ideas continued to influence economic thought beyond the Medieval period, and that the science of economics as we know it today has theological origins. Interdisciplinary in nature, this book will be of interest to advanced students and researchers in the history of economic thought, the history of theology, philosophy and intellectual history.
Taylor & Francis
9780429202506
Divine Providence in Early Modern Economic Thought.