John Rae Political Economist: An Account of His Life and A Compilation of His Main Writings : : Volume II: Statement of Some New Principles on the Subject of Political Economy (reprinted) / / ed. by R. Warren James, John Rae.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Toronto Press eBook-Package Archive 1933-1999
• HerausgeberIn: James, R. Warren,; Rae, John,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2019]; ©1965
• Year of Publication: 2019
• Language: English
• Series: Heritage
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (440 p.)

Volume I contains a biographical study of John Rae, a brilliant economist and scholar who lived in Canada for a period in the early part of the nineteenth century, an analysis of Rae's contributions to economics, and a collection of his articles and essays on a variety of topics. These miscellaneous writings, many of which originally appeared in contemporary newspapers and magazines, reveal the broad range of his intellectual interests as well as his polemic and literary skill. Volume II is a reprint of Rae's book Statement of New Principles on the Subject of Political Economy which was originally published in Boston in 1834. As a result of the reissue of this book, which has been scarce for some years, modern students of economics will be better able to appreciate Rae's fundamental contribution to the development of economic thought, particularly the theory of capital. Much of Rae's analysis of economic development and behaviour was based on a first-hand knowledge of the Canadian economy in the early nineteenth century, but his theory has a surprisingly modern flavour, and is completely relevant to the problems of primitive or emerging economies today. Rae, personally, has been a neglected and obscure figure and one of the main objects of this work is to throw additional light on his career. There were a number of gloomy and disappointing episodes in his life, but, despite them, his devotion to scholarly pursuits remained unimpaired, and his literary output continued throughout his life. This work should appeal to all those interested in the history of ideas, particularly to those concerned with the economic, political and religious controversies of the first half of the nineteenth century. For his contributions to economic theory John Rae is entitled to a place in the first rank of economists anywhere in the world, and for this reason he deserves the attention of all students of economics and sociology. His work is sprinkled with profound insights into human behaviour and, in addition, he displays a literary style which has seldom been surpassed in the literature of economics.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Editor's Preface to Volume II -- Preface -- Table of Contents -- General Introduction -- Book I. Individual And National Interests Are Not Identical -- Introduction -- Chapter I. Of The Identity Of Individual And National Interest Considered As A Simple Principle -- Chapter II. Of The Identity Of Individual And National Interests Considered As A Theoretical Principle -- Book II. Of The Nature Of Stock, And Of The Laws Governing Its Increase And Diminution -- Introduction -- Chapter I. It Is Characteristic Of Man To Provide For The Wants Of The Future, By The Formation Of Instruments; And His Power To Make This Provision, Is Measured, By The Extent And Accuracy Of His Knowledge Of The Course Of Natural Events -- Chapter II. Of The Circumstances Common To All Instruments, And Of Those Proper To Some -- Chapter III. Of Certain Circumstances Arising From The Institution Of Society -- Chapter IV. Every Instrument May Be Arranged In Some Part Of A Series, Of Which The Orders Are Determined, By The Proportions Existing Between The Labor Expended In The Formation Of Instruments, The Capacity Given To Them, And The Time Elapsing From The Period Of Formation To That Of Exhaustion -- Chapter V. Circumstances Determining The Amount Of Instruments Formed -- Chapter VI. Of The Circumstances Which Determine The Strength Of The Effective Desire Of Accumulation -- Chapter VII. Of Some Of The Phenomena Arising From The Different Degrees Of Strength Of The Effective Desire Of Accumulation In Different Societies -- Chapter VIII. Of The Division Of Employments And Other Phenomena Produced By Efforts To Accelerate The Exhaustion Of Instruments -- Chapter IX. Of The Effects Resulting From Diversities Of Strength In The Accumulative Principle, In Members Of The Same Society -- Chapter X. Of The Causes Of The Progress Of Invention, And Of The Effects Arising From It -- Chapter XI. Of Luxury -- Chapter XII. Of Exchanges Between Different Communities -- Chapter XIII. Of Waste -- Chapter XIV. Of The Combined Operation Of The Causes Investigated In The Preceding Chapters -- Chapter XV. Of The "Wealth Of Nations" As A Branch Of The Philosophy Of Induction -- Appendix To Book II. Of The Principle Of The Division Of Labor -- Book III. Of The Operations Of The Legislator On National Stock -- Introduction -- Chapter I. Of The Operations Of The Legislator In Bringing The Arts Of Foreign Countries To His Own -- Chapter II. Of The Operations Of The Legislator On Luxuries -- Chapter III. Of Objections To The Interference Of The Legislator In The Cases Indicated In The Two Preceding Chapters -- Notes -- Index