A dissertação aborda o tema da caridade privada e da assistência pública aos pobres em três autores do período clássico da Economia Política britânica: Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus e Jeremy Bentham. Argumenta-se que a questão está intimamente conectada à visão de natureza humana de cada um destes autores, bem como ao contexto histórico marcado pelas legislações conhecidas como \"Leis dos Pobres\" na Inglaterra. Smith aborda o assunto com ênfase em aspectos psicológicos e morais do homem, indicando que existem sérios obstáculos à realização da caridade direcionada aos mais necessitados, principalmente devido a menor propensão humana de simpatizar com o pobre, se comparada à propensão de simpatizar com pessoas mais afortunadas. Entretanto, para Smith, uma sociedade livre seria capaz de reduzir a pobreza extrema através da grande geração de riquezas consequente da divisão do trabalho e acumulação de capital, reduzindo a miséria e a necessidade da caridade. Na obra de Malthus, apresenta-se a visão de natureza humana partindo dos princípios da busca pela sobrevivência e reprodução, que teriam como consequência um aumento populacional sempre que a miséria fosse aliviada. A caridade, neste contexto malthusiano, deveria ser reservada a indivíduos merecedores, com \"freio moral\", e as Leis dos Pobres deveriam ser abolidas. Já a abordagem de Bentham tem base em seu princípio da utilidade, bem como em sua perspectiva de que as motivações humanas são governadas pela busca do prazer e fuga da dor. A partir daí, Bentham evidencia a impossibilidade de que a caridade privada venha a suprir toda a demanda de caridade por indigentes. Para que se resolva o problema, o autor propõe o estabelecimento de uma instituição privada, a National Charity Company, que com subsídio público, se responsabilize pela eliminação da indigência através do encarceramento, auxílio e trabalho compulsório de todos indigentes capazes de realizá-lo. Defende-se que os três autores possuem abordagens diferenciadas, contudo, constata-se que são suas premissas comportamentais - melhor compreendidas como a \"natureza humana\" em suas teorias - que fundamentam muitas de suas conclusões sobre os temas da caridade e Leis dos Pobres. / This dissertation adresses the theme of private charity and public relief to the poor by looking into the work of three authors from the classical period of Political Economy in Britain: Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and Jeremy Bentham. The argument is that this matter is intimately linked to the conception of human nature of each author, as well as to the historic context related to the legislations known as the \"Poor Laws\" in England. Smith\'s approach is focused on psychological and moral aspects of men, indicating that there are serious obstacles to the offer of charity directed to people in need, mainly due to the lower propensity to sympathize with poor compared to the propensity to sympathize with more with people in better conditions. Nevertheless, to Smtih, a free society would be capable of reducing extreme poverty through the creation of wealth that results from the division of labour and capital accumulation, reducing misery and the need for charity. In Malthus\' work, we find that his view of human nature starts from the principles of survival and reproduction, which have as a consequence a population increase whenever misery is alleviated. Charity, in this malthusian context, should be reserved to individuals that are deserving of receiving it, the ones with \"moral restraint\", and the Poor Laws should be abolished. Bentham\'s approach, on the other hand, starts from both his principle of utility and his perspective that human motivations are governed by the search of pleasure and avoidance of pain. From these ideas, Bentham argues that it is evident the impossibility of private charity being enough to supply for all the demand for charity from indigents. To solve the problem, the author proposes the establishment of a private institution, the National Charity Company, which would, with public subsidies, be responsible for the elimination of indigence through incarceration, relief and compulsory work of all capable indigents in need. It is argued that despite the different approaches from the three authors, in all of them it is possible to see that their behavioral premises (better comprehended as \"human nature\") are the basis of many conclusions on charity and Poor Laws.

This thesis consists of revised versions of five published papers on the development of neoclassical distribution theory, in the English-speaking world together with an introduction and conclusion, which draw together the themes of the papers. The thesis covers the origins of neo-classical distribution theory in the English-speaking world in the work of Jevons and Marshall, through to the second generation of Wicksteed, Clark and Pigou, and finally on to the 1930s and the new perspectives of Hicks and Robinson. Drawing on archival sources and primary and secondary texts, these essays review the major statements on distribution theory made by key figures in the Jevonian and Marshallian marginalist traditions. The essays shed new light on the origins of neoclassical distribution theory and provide insights into the methodology of nascent neoclassical distribution theory. A drive towards a universal, all-embracing marginal productivity theory of the distribution of income characterises the work of Clark and Wicksteed, but not so Marshall. A formalist mode of analysis, which was to become the hallmark of neoclassical economics in the second half of the twentieth century, is also evident in key works of the period. However, the role of empirical evidence in theory generation and appraisal remains an undeveloped component of late nineteenth and early twentieth century neoclassical theory—Marshall again provides an exception to the general rule. There is a common adherence, among the key figures examined, to the joint proposition that competitive market wage outcomes are ‘fair’, but that low incomes (fair or not) are unjust when they fail to meet minimum needs standards. State remedial action (tax and expenditure policies) is required to remove such injustices. Robinson’s theory of exploitation provided an important extension to the neoclassical normative framework. She highlighted the extent to which labour may be exploited due to imperfections in both product and labour markets.

A dissertação aborda o tema da caridade privada e da assistência pública aos pobres em três autores do período clássico da Economia Política britânica: Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus e Jeremy Bentham. Argumenta-se que a questão está intimamente conectada à visão de natureza humana de cada um destes autores, bem como ao contexto histórico marcado pelas legislações conhecidas como \"Leis dos Pobres\" na Inglaterra. Smith aborda o assunto com ênfase em aspectos psicológicos e morais do homem, indicando que existem sérios obstáculos à realização da caridade direcionada aos mais necessitados, principalmente devido a menor propensão humana de simpatizar com o pobre, se comparada à propensão de simpatizar com pessoas mais afortunadas. Entretanto, para Smith, uma sociedade livre seria capaz de reduzir a pobreza extrema através da grande geração de riquezas consequente da divisão do trabalho e acumulação de capital, reduzindo a miséria e a necessidade da caridade. Na obra de Malthus, apresenta-se a visão de natureza humana partindo dos princípios da busca pela sobrevivência e reprodução, que teriam como consequência um aumento populacional sempre que a miséria fosse aliviada. A caridade, neste contexto malthusiano, deveria ser reservada a indivíduos merecedores, com \"freio moral\", e as Leis dos Pobres deveriam ser abolidas. Já a abordagem de Bentham tem base em seu princípio da utilidade, bem como em sua perspectiva de que as motivações humanas são governadas pela busca do prazer e fuga da dor. A partir daí, Bentham evidencia a impossibilidade de que a caridade privada venha a suprir toda a demanda de caridade por indigentes. Para que se resolva o problema, o autor propõe o estabelecimento de uma instituição privada, a National Charity Company, que com subsídio público, se responsabilize pela eliminação da indigência através do encarceramento, auxílio e trabalho compulsório de todos indigentes capazes de realizá-lo. Defende-se que os três autores possuem abordagens diferenciadas, contudo, constata-se que são suas premissas comportamentais - melhor compreendidas como a \"natureza humana\" em suas teorias - que fundamentam muitas de suas conclusões sobre os temas da caridade e Leis dos Pobres. / This dissertation adresses the theme of private charity and public relief to the poor by looking into the work of three authors from the classical period of Political Economy in Britain: Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and Jeremy Bentham. The argument is that this matter is intimately linked to the conception of human nature of each author, as well as to the historic context related to the legislations known as the \"Poor Laws\" in England. Smith\'s approach is focused on psychological and moral aspects of men, indicating that there are serious obstacles to the offer of charity directed to people in need, mainly due to the lower propensity to sympathize with poor compared to the propensity to sympathize with more with people in better conditions. Nevertheless, to Smtih, a free society would be capable of reducing extreme poverty through the creation of wealth that results from the division of labour and capital accumulation, reducing misery and the need for charity. In Malthus\' work, we find that his view of human nature starts from the principles of survival and reproduction, which have as a consequence a population increase whenever misery is alleviated. Charity, in this malthusian context, should be reserved to individuals that are deserving of receiving it, the ones with \"moral restraint\", and the Poor Laws should be abolished. Bentham\'s approach, on the other hand, starts from both his principle of utility and his perspective that human motivations are governed by the search of pleasure and avoidance of pain. From these ideas, Bentham argues that it is evident the impossibility of private charity being enough to supply for all the demand for charity from indigents. To solve the problem, the author proposes the establishment of a private institution, the National Charity Company, which would, with public subsidies, be responsible for the elimination of indigence through incarceration, relief and compulsory work of all capable indigents in need. It is argued that despite the different approaches from the three authors, in all of them it is possible to see that their behavioral premises (better comprehended as \"human nature\") are the basis of many conclusions on charity and Poor Laws.

The theme of academic anti-Semitism has been much discussed recently in histories of the interwar period of the University of Vienna, in particular its Faculty of Law and Policy Sciences. This paper complements these studies by focusing in this regard on the economics chairs at this faculty and, more generally, on the fate of the younger generation of the Austrian school of economics. After some introductory remarks the paper concentrates on three case studies: the neglect of Mises in all three appointments of economics chairs in the 1920s; the anti-Semitic overtones in the conflict between Hans Mayer and Othmar Spann, both professors for economics at the faculty; and on anti-Semitism as a determinant of success or failure in academia, and consequently of the emigration of Austrian economists. Finally, we have a short look at the development of economics at the University of Vienna during and after the Nazi regime. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

The Nationalökonomische Gesellschaft (Austrian Economic Association, NOeG) provides a prominent example of the Viennese economic circles that more than academic economics dominated scientific discourse in the interwar years. For the first time this paper gives a thorough account of its history, from its foundation 1918 until the demise of its long-time president, Hans Mayer, 1955, based on official documents and archival material. The topics treated include its predecessor and rival, the Gesellschaft österreichischer Volkswirte, the foundation 1918 soon to be followed by years of inactivity, the relaunch by Mayer and Mises, the survival under the NS-regime and the expulsion of its Jewish members, and the slow restoration after 1945. In particular, an attempt is made to provide a list of the papers presented to the NOeG, as complete as possible, for the period 1918-1938. (author's abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

O principal objetivo deste trabalho é compreender como se deu o desenvolvimento da econometria no programa de pós-graduação em economia da FEA/USP e averiguar se havia ou não grandes atrasos no ensino e pesquisas desse referencial metodológico com relação ao exterior, no período entre a criação do programa de pós-graduação (meados dos anos 1960) e o fim dos anos 1970. Outro objetivo é com relação à importância do Professor Delfim Netto nesse processo. O trabalho tenta inserir estes desenvolvimentos tanto na história institucional da FEA/USP como na evolução da econometria na academia internacional, notadamente a norte-americana. Foi efetuada uma pesquisa nos arquivos da FEA, onde encontramos as ementas dos cursos. Adicionalmente, foram efetuadas entrevistas com professores que ministraram cursos de econometria no início da pós-graduação e professores que orientaram trabalhos econométricos nesse mesmo período. As principais conclusões que pudemos chegar é que nesse período a literatura era, dentro do possível, atualizada em relação ao exterior, sendo que os próprios cursos já alcançavam grau de sofisticação comparável ao dos cursos dos EUA. Com relação à influência do professor Delfim, não há indícios de que sua participação para o desenvolvimento dos cursos de pós-graduação de econometria da FEA tenha sido grande, mas podemos argumentar que ele foi importante para o desenvolvimento da pós-graduação em economia como um todo. / The main objective of this work is to understand how econometrics courses developed in the Economics graduate program at FEA/USP and to analyze whether there was a significant time gap between the courses taught and the research done using this methodological reference in Brazil versus what was made abroad. Another objective is to assess how important Professor Delfim Netto was in that process. With this we hope to place the development of econometrics at FEA/USP within the broad developments wordwide, with a focus in the United States, and within the institutional history of FEA/USP. Through an archival research, we found the courses syllaby. Additionally, we interviewed professors who taught econometric courses at the begining of the graduate program and professors who were advisors of theses that used econometrics. The main conclusions we reached are that at that time the reading list of the courses was, as far as possible, up to date in relation to what existed abroad at the time: the courses were in a level of sophistication comparable to those courses taught in the US. With respect of the influence of professor Delfim, there is not evidence to show that his participation on the development of the econometrics courses at FEA graduate school was great, but we can argue that he was important to the development of the economics program at FEA as a whole.

Resumo: Dois modelos formam a base da teoria moderna de crescimento econômico, conhecidos como modelo de Solow-Swan e modelo de Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans. Os dois modelos são apresentados por uma narrativa linear. O modelo de Solow representaria um primeiro modelo mais básico para compreender o crescimento econômico. Já Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans relaxaria a forte hipótese do primeiro modelo de que a propensão a poupar seria uma alíquota fixa, transformando a decisão de poupança em uma decisão derivada de um comportamento maximizador de utilidade e assim enriquecendo o modelo de Solow por clarificar a relação de crescimento econômico com a teoria do equilíbrio geral. O propósito deste trabalho é desafiar esta narrativa linear. Para isto, a dissertação apresenta outros assuntos de importância para a teoria do crescimento na década de 1960 que não se encaixam nesta narrativa, os teoremas de turnpike e os modelos de dois setores. Estes dois temas atuam como elos que ligam as três distintas comunidades representadas pelos atores Robert Solow, Tjalling Koopmans e David Cass, demonstrando que a relação entre os dois modelos é menos linear do que é usualmente apresentado. / Abstract: Two models shape the basis of modern economic growth theory, known as the Solow-Swan model and the Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans model. Both models are usually presented by a linear narrative. The Solow model would represent a first basic model to understand economic growth. The Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans would come to enrich the basic Solow model, by relaxing the constant propensity to save hypothesis, making the savings decision derived from a utility maximizing behavior. The purpose of this work is to challenge this linear narrative. This dissertation introduce other subjects that were influential to the development of growth theory in the sixties, but don\'t fit in the linear narrative: the turnpike theorems and the two-sector models of growth. These two subjects operate as links that connect three different scientific communities, represented by the actors Robert Solow, Tjalling Koopmans and David Cass, and help to evidence that the relation between the Solow model and the Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans model is less linear than usually presented.

Este trabalho se propõe a remontar a dissolução ocorrida no tempo em que a Economia Política buscava limitar seu campo de estudo, particularmente no que se refere a percepção sobre a conduta humana e a assunção de que os homens são intrinsecamente egoístas. Para tanto, é desenvolvida a visão do homem moralmente condicionado em Adam Smith e também as modificações subsequentes originadas nas diferentes concepções dos autores da escola clássica e da neoclássica. Sendo que estas mudanças enfatizam o egoísmo do agente econômico. Neste intento, é retraçado o caminho da consolidação do postulado do egoísmo, assim como os percalços, controvérsias e conflitos desta caracterização. São explorados os elementos que auxiliaram na transformação do homem smithiano em homo economicus, tais como a leitura descontextualizada de Smith, o individualismo, o utilitarismo, o individualismo metodológico, o positivismo e a própria necessidade de abstração teórica. Adicionalmente, é verificado que a confusão de conceitos presente nesta construção metodológica traz a referência de que a ciência econômica faz apologia ao egoísmo. Esta percepção é um subproduto do desenlace da economia com as questões morais. / This research is proposed to reassemble the dissolution occurred when the Political Economy sought to limit their field of study, particularly in the perception of humann behavior and the assumption that men are inherently selfish. To do that, it is developed the perception of Adam Smith about human behavior, and the subsequent changes resulting from different conceptions of classical and the neoclassical authors. These changes emphasize the selfishness of the economic agent. In this attempt, is showed the way of the consolidating of self-interest premise, the mishaps and controversies of this path. It explores the the elements that collaborated in the transformation of Smithian man in homo economicus, such as decontextualized reading of Smith, individualism, utilitarianism, methodological individualism, positivism and the very necessity of theoretical abstraction. Additionally, it is observed that the confusion of concepts present in this methodological construction suggests that economics salutes the egoism. This is a result of the distinction between moral and economic aspects.

In this dissertation work, I present a broad historical account of how the calculus of variations was applied in economics in the 1920s up until the 1940s. In the interwar period, mathematical economics was a vibrant and plural community of authors. Previous historical works on this period have focused on specific points of these authors. The present dissertation focuses on the mathematical technique, i.e., the calculus of variations and how it was used in economics. This history also encompasses the early mathematization of economics, the early history of econometrics, and the struggles to devise a dynamic theory of economics in a general equilibrium framework. I follow mainly the works of American mathematician Griffith C. Evans (18871973) whom I argue is a seminal author in this literature. In 1924, Evans used the calculus of variations to put forward a dynamic version of A. Cournot\'s classic analysis of monopoly. In the following decades, a handful of authors followed Evans\'s approach and used the calculus of variations to research depreciation, business cycles, optimal savings, and general equilibrium. In the late 1960s, similar mathematical formulations became common place in the form of optimal control and dynamic programming. These new mathematical techniques shared intimate relations with the calculus of variations. / Neste trabalho de dissertação, apresento uma história geral de como o cálculo variacional foi aplicado na economia no período dos anos 1920 até 1940. Durante o período do entreguerras, havia uma comunidade plural e vibrante de autores trabalhando com economia matemática. Trabalhos históricos sobre esse período se debruçaram sobre pontos específicos desses autores. O presente trabalho tem como foco a técnica matemática, i.e., o cálculo variacional e como ele foi utilizado na economia. Minha história também abarca o início da matematização da economia, os primeiros anos da econometria, e os desenvolvimentos de uma teoria dinâmica de economia dentro de um modelo de equilíbrio geral. Este trabalho segue de perto a obra do matemático estadunidense Griffith C. Evans (1887-1973), um autor seminal nesta literatura. Em 1924, Evans usa o cálculo variacional para dinamizar a análise clássica de monopólio de A. Cournot. Nas próximas décadas, a maior parte dos autores que usaram o cálculo variacional em economia seguiram a abordagem de Evans: eles encontraram aplicações para o cálculo de variações em teorias de depreciação, ciclos de negócios e equilíbrio geral. No final da década de 60, modelos matemáticos usando controle ótimo e programação dinâmica se popularizaram em economia. Estas novas técnicas matemáticas têm íntima relação com o cálculo variacional.

From 1716 to 1845, the Scottish financial system functioned with no official central bank or lender of last resort, no public (or private) monopoly on currency issuance, no legal reserve requirements, and no formal limits on bank size. In support of previous research on Scottish "free banking," I find that this absence of legal restrictions on Scottish banking contributed to a proliferation of what Adam Smith derisively referred to as "beggarly bankers" which rendered the Scottish financial system both intensely competitive and remarkably resilient to a series of severe adverse shocks to the small developing economy. In particular, despite large speculative capital flows, a fixed exchange rate, and substantial external debt, Scotland's highly decentralized banking sector effectively mitigated the effects of two severe balance of payments crises arising from exogenous political shocks during the Seven Years' War. I further find that the gradual introduction of regulations and legal restrictions into Scottish banking was the result of aggressive political lobbying by the largest Scottish banks, and effectively raised barriers to entry and encouraged banking sector consolidation. I argue that while these results did not cause the severe financial crisis of 1772, they amplified the level of systemic risk in Scottish credit markets and increased the likelihood that portfolio losses in the event of an adverse economic shock would be transmitted to depositors and noteholders through disorderly bank runs, suspensions of payment, and institutional liquidation. Finally, I find that unlimited liability on the part of Scottish bank shareholders attenuated the effects of financial instability on the real economy. The financial crisis of 1772 in Scotland thus offers a valuable historical perspective on issues relating to the political economy of financial regulation, regulatory and intellectual capture, and institutional reform in banking. / History