Antonio Serra and the Economics of Good Government e-bog

Little is known of Antonio Serra except that hewrote his extraordinary 1613 ShortTreatise on the Causes that Make Kingdoms Abound in Gold and Silver even in theAbsence of Mines in a Neapolitan jail, and that he died there soonafterwards. However, the influence of this work represents a watershed not onlyin the discipline of economics but in the history of social science andintellectual history more generally. In this book, some of the world's leading economists and experts onSerra explore the enduring appeal of his ShortTreatise. The authors analyse the work in its historical, economic,cultural and intellectual contexts, exploring the finer details of his theoriesregarding economic development and international financial interactions, aswell as his indebtedness to earlier Renaissance traditions. The book alsouncovers new material relating to Serra's life and provides in-depthinterpretation of his key insights, influences and political economy. Thisbook highlights the parallels between issues discussed by Serra and modernpolitical and scholarly consciousness, and illustrates the importance andinfluences of historical debate in modern economic thinking.