The Political Economy of Imperialism: Critical Appraisals: 70 (Recent Economic Thought) - Tapa dura

This book brings together important essays by distinguished scholars who have devoted past attention to the study of imperialism and development. It comple­ ments an anthology of previously published essays that brings together important theoretical perspectives around the issues and debates on these themes; this volume will be published by Humanity Press (forthcoming). Both projects relate to a lengthy chapter "Theories of Imperialism," which will be published in my book The­ ories of Comparative Political Economy (Forthcoming). These projects represent a culmination of many years of teaching in both economics and political science. During that time I taught two political science courses on development and under­ development, but I was unable to convince my colleagues of the usefulness of a course on imperialism that linked historical issues and debates with the more recent developmental literature. When in 1990 I was welcomed into economics, my col­ leagues endorsed a graduate seminar on the political economy of imperialism. Thus, this volume evolved out of that experience in an effort to encourage new analysis that reflects retrospectively on past contributions as well as the prospects for impe­ rialism and development in the contemporary world.

The Political Economy of Imperialism emanates from several concerns and interests. First, it departs from the fundamental premise that capitalism in its evolving forms and consolidation underlies questions and theories of imperialism and development. Second, it assumes that the foundations for a theory of imperialism and development trace to early classical writings on political economy and, in particular, to David Ricardo, Adam Smith, and Karl Marx. Third, this volume acknowledges that both positive and negative consequences accompanied the penetration of capitalism and the development of the forces and means of production throughout the world.