The views of traditional economy ideologues of the Ancient East, Greece and Rome

Federal State Educational Budgetary Institution of Higher Education

Topic of Essay:

“The views of traditional economy ideologues of the Ancient East, Greece and Rome.”

Moscow 2022

Contents

INTRODUCTION                                                                                              3

CHAPTER I. Economic Ideas of the Ancient East                                            4

CHAPTER II. The economic ideas of the Greeks                                              6

CHAPTER III. The Economic Ideas of the Romans                                        10

CONCLUSION                                                                                                 12

List of references                                                                                               13

INTRODUCTION

The study of the economic thought of the philosophers of antiquity is useful and interesting. Every professional should have a good knowledge of the history of his discipline. The study of the history of ideas provides a better understanding of how scientific knowledge develops and changes. It leads to the realization that science is a form of permanent revolution, but also a history of paradigms and power relations.

Relevance of the work: The study of the views of the ideologists of traditional economics of the Ancient East, Greece and Rome also allows us to better understand modern economic thought in perspective, to find history and not try to come up with a new solution to problems, if there is a reliable one.

Practical significance of the work: In terms of direct analytical and instrumental interest, the study of ancient economists can allow us to find forgotten ideas and lead economic theory out of the dead ends it can sometimes become entangled in.

The aim of the paper is to increase our knowledge of the worldwide historical heritage of which economic thought of antiquity is a part.

The information component of the work is the study of primary sources, as well as monographs and scientific articles of modern scientists and experts.

CHAPTER I. Economic Ideas of the Ancient East

The economy of Oriental civilizations is often called the Asian mode of production because it meets the following conditions:

- Excessive state control over the subsistence economy by regulating the areas of credit transactions, trade, and debt slavery.

- The dominant role of state ownership in the national economy.

Briefly review the most famous works of economic thought in the ancient eastern civilizations of Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Ancient India, and Ancient India, which are the most cited sources.

In ancient Egypt mankind discovered the first two monuments of economic thought.

"The Exhortation of the King of Heracleopolis to his Son" refers to the twenty-second century B.C. This precept lays down the "rules" of government and economic management.

"The Speech of Ipusser" was created in the eighteenth century B.C. This ancient tirade was chiefly concerned with the uncontrolled expansion of credit transactions and the prevention of debt slavery.

 Babylonia, that ancient state in the East, preserved a code of laws which was in force in the country in the eighteenth century B.C. Under this code extremely strict legal rules were introduced to prevent the destruction of livelihoods and the threat to the sovereignty of the country by weakening state and military structures, and in addition by reducing tax revenues to the treasury. Severe economic, administrative and criminal sanctions, including the death penalty, were provided for violations of these rules.

Ancient Chinese economic thought reminds us of the collection "Conversations and Judgments" by Confucius, who lived 551-479 BC. In addition, the popular thought of the fourth and third centuries, which came down to us in the form of the collective treatise "Guan-tzu," taught that only educated rulers can fairly distribute the wealth created by society. it is emphasized there that only educated rulers can have a real influence on the fair distribution of wealth, not "enriching" merchants and usurers, and that the class division in society is unchangeable.

It is widely believed that economic thought in ancient China is scattered and unstructured, and thus there is no clear logical chain between the relevant concepts. However, political power was a vital consideration for economic problems in ancient China, and moral concepts were the basis of economic analysis at the time.

The essence of Confucius' economic thought is how to solve economic problems, although a discussion of moral concepts predominates. His plans for economic institutions, such as the land system and the tax system, are based on his arguments for political legitimacy.

Thus, the basic structure of economic thought in ancient China may include three considerations: knowledge of socio-political and economic problems, knowledge of social legitimacy in terms of morality, and design of economic institutions.

Ancient Indian economic thought of the fourth and third centuries B.C. is contained in the "Doctrine of Income" ("Arthashastra"). Its author, Kautilya, laid the foundation for the creation of wealth through labor and the need to regulate the distribution of commercial profits between merchants and the state. According to this thesis, the accumulation of wealth entailed the division of society into slaves and free citizens, with those who did not pay their debts for the use of the land temporarily or permanently sharing the fate of the lower classes.

CHAPTER II. The economic ideas of the Greeks

The Greeks were the first to develop economic theory, but it came in the form of casual observations discarded in pursuit of a more worthy goal. It was in the Greek writers that theorizing on economic matters first became clearly evident.

Although the Greeks were pioneers in many areas of knowledge, they made little contribution to the development of economic ideas. There was no boundary between politics, economics, and ethics. The ancient world was based on a system of caste distinctions.