Torkel Aschehoug and Norwegian Historical Economic Thought

Mathilde C. Fasting

Description

Explores the economic thought of prominent Norwegian legal theorist and politician Torkel Halvorsen Aschehoug (1822–1909) during the last decades of the nineteenth century, focusing on his historical-empirical approach to economics.

The historical schools of economics have been neglected within the arena of economic theory since the Second World War in favour of the now-dominant classical and neoclassical schools of economic thought. As alternative frameworks re-emerge, this book offers a revaluation of the legal theorist, economist and politician Torkel Aschehoug (1822–1909) and his historical-empirical approach to economics, a highly influential current in Norway during the last decades of the nineteenth century.

Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Biography; Chapter 3: Norwegian Economic and Political Context in the Nineteenth Century; Chapter 4: Norwegian Economic Thought and Method; Chapter 5: Development of the Economic Thought of Aschehoug: Statsøkonomisk Forening and the ‘Socialøkonomik’ Project; Chapter 6: The German Historical School: Similarities, Influences and Discrepancies; Chapter 7: Alfred Marshall: Aschehoug and the Adoption of Marginal Theory; Chapter 8: The French Influence: Adopting Say and Refuting Socialism; Chapter 9: Views of Labour in the Work of Aschehoug; Chapter 10: The Entrepreneur: The Fourth Production Factor; Chapter 11: Trade and Customs Debates from 1840 to 1906 165;Chapter 12: The Theory of Economic Crises; Chapter 13: The Legacy of Aschehoug: Concluding Remarks; Appendix A: Other Norwegian Turn-of-the-Century Economists; Appendix B: Drafts for ‘Socialøkonomik’; Appendix C: Detailed Contents of ‘Socialøkonomik’ (First Editions from 1903 to 1908); Notes; Literature; Index 

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857280831
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Torkel Aschehoug and Norwegian
Historical Economic ThoughtAnthem Other Canon Economics
Anthem Press and The Other Canon Foundation are pleased
to present the series. The Other Canon – also
described as ‘reality economics’ – studies the economy as a real object rather than as
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The series includes both classical and contemporary works in this tradition, spanning
evolutionary, institutional and Post-Keynesian economics, the history of economic
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and works on the theory of uneven development and in the tradition of
the German historical school.
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Edited by Erik S. Reinert and Francesca Linda VianoTorkel Aschehoug and Norwegian
Historical Economic Thought
Reconsidering a Forgotten Norwegian
Pioneer Economist
Mathilde C. FastingAnthem Press
An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company
www.anthempress.com
This edition frst published in UK and USA 2013
by ANTHEM PRESS
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or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK
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Copyright © Mathilde C. Fasting 2013
The author asserts the moral right to be identifed as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above,
no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise),
without the prior written permission of both the copyright
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested.
ISBN-13: 978 0 85728 075 6 (Hbk)
ISBN-10: 0 85728 075 9 (Hbk)
This title is also available as an ebook.CONTENTS
Acknowledgements vii
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Biography11
Chapter 3 Norwegian Economic and Political Context in
the Nineteenth Century 27
Chapter 4 Norwegian Economic Thought and Method 51
Chapter 5 Development of the Economic Thought of Aschehoug:
Statsøkonomisk Forening and the Socialøkonomik Project 67
Chapter 6 The German Historical School: Similarities, Infuences
and Discrepancies 79
Chapter 7 Alfred Marshall: Aschehoug and the Adoption of Marginal Theory 103
Chapter 8 The French Infuence: Adopting Say and Refuting Socialism 121
Chapter 9 Views of Labour in the Work of Aschehoug 141
Chapter 10 The Entrepreneur: The Fourth Production Factor 153
Chapter 11 Trade and Customs Debates from 1840 to 1906 165
Chapter 12 The Theory of Economic Crises 177
Chapter 13 The Legacy of Aschehoug: Concluding Remarks 185
Appendix A Other Norwegian Turn-of-the-Century Economists 189
Appendix B Drafts for Socialøkonomik 195
Appendix C Detailed Contents of Socialøkonomik (First Editions
from 1903 to 1908) 197
Notes 201
Literature 253
Index 265ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
After fnishing my frst education as an economist, I spent a decade working both in large
private companies and on starting my own business. Gradually, a wish to learn more
about the origins of my discipline and intellectual history in general led me to share my
time between my private business and a fulltime study of intellectual history (idéhistorie),
frst fnishing a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree. The topic of my master’s thesis was
the history of economic thought in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries,
addressing the economic motivation of self-interest. This path led me to an inspiring
lecture by Professor Erik Reinert, whom I had not met before. In a moment of inspiration,
I left him my contact details, and just a few months later he suddenly called me and asked
if I would be interested in looking at the Norwegian economist Torkel Aschehoug. I was
in my car at the time, but the name Aschehoug rang a bell. When I came home, I quickly
found out that Aschehoug was the brother of my great-great-grandfather. And what’s
*more, I had in my offce a frst edition of his complete Socialøkonomik. My reply to Reinert
was, of course, yes. With his invaluable help, I became acquainted with my supervisor
Professor Jürgen Backhaus, and my project turned into a doctoral thesis and now a book
about Torkel Aschehoug. I wish to thank them both: Reinert for making it possible, and
Backhaus for critical and encouraging comments during the process.
An insightful seminar about Aschehoug in 2009 also gave me valuable inspiration
for my work, and I wish to thank Professor Arild Sæther especially for including me in
other seminars, for constructive and interesting talks, and for providing me with analyses
of Norwegian economic thought concerning entrepreneurs and the infuence of Alfred
Marshall on Norwegian economic thought. I will also extend my thanks to Professor
Sylvi Endresen, who participated at the Aschehoug seminar and worked with me on a
seminar paper and presentation at the Heilbronn Symposium about Aschehoug and his
views on labour.
I also need to mention Professor Øystein Sørensen, who has been most helpful and
encouraging for my work on Anton Martin Schweigaard and his Norwegian economic
reforms. This also includes Professor Lars Fr. H. Svendsen, who has given me constructive
advice for the structure of my dissertation and insightful comments on philosophical
issues. I have also had valuable and inspiring talks during various stages of the process
with Professor Anne-Lise Seip, Professor Francis Sejersted, Professor Rune Slagstad
and the conservative politician and former minister of culture Lars Roar Langslet, who
included Aschehoug in his recent book presenting portraits of Norwegian conservative
thinkers (Konservatisme på norsk, 2011). I also wish to thank Professor Sverre Christensen
* I have used these four volumes as my research copies for this book.viii TORKEL ASCHEHOUG
at Senter for næringslivshistorie, BI (Centre for Business History), who invited me to a
stimulating meeting with his colleagues to present and discuss my project. A last thanks
goes to Agnar Sandmo, professor of economics at my former school, the Norwegian
School of Economics and Business Administration, for a critical review of my doctoral
thesis before the submission of the work to the editors of the book manuscript.
The editors at Anthem must also be thanked warmly, for critical reviews of the
manuscript, valuable comments and corrections, and for professional assistance with
editing of the fnal book.
Since Torkel Aschehoug had just a small family and was close to his brother (my
great-great-grandfather), it has been most interesting to search for private information
about his life and the life of his family. I extend my thanks to my aunt, Inger Kloster
Jensen, for providing me with old family information and a genealogical table, and for
the contact she made with Torkel Aschehoug’s great grandchild, Kirsti Berulfsen, who
died last winter. In her apartment hung the original painting of Torkel Aschehoug that is
used on the cover of this book.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks go to my family, who have encouraged me and tolerated
my many hours of reading and writing, not only during the week, but also on weekends
and holidays.
Oslo, April 2013Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Following World War II, historical schools of economics have generally been neglected
within the arena of economic theory, because of the strong positions held by the classical
and neoclassical schools of economic thought. In recent years, and especially after the
fnancial crisis of 2008, a revaluation of this way of seeing the economy is emerging.
Historical thought was not limited to Germany, but fourished in neighbouring countries
like Norway. To complete the picture of the development of political economy, namely
the development of historical and institutional approaches to economics, this book will
contribute to the Norwegian part of the broader European picture of late
nineteenthcentury economic thought.
The story is told through the life and works of Norway’s most infuential economist
and an important intellectual and jurist during the last dec