The Collected Works of A.K. Dasgupta: Two Treatises on Classical Political Economy ( Volume I)

One of the founding fathers of modern economics in India, A.K. Dasgupta (1903-92) is considered a pioneer in theoretical economics. The present volume–one of the three self contained companion volumes spanning almost six decades–contains essays that made a substantial theoretical contribution to the history of economic ideas in India that originated in the early twentieth century and paved the way for many stalwarts in the field. The volume contains two of the author’s most important treatises, both characterized by original theoretical contributions. The Conception of Surplus in Theoretical Economics was written in the mid-1930s, a period of intellectual turmoil sweeping across centres of economic learning in UK and USA. Epochs of Economic Theory, written in the 1980s, provides a perspective on the development of economic thought and theory through successive periods in history and offers several original ideas on classical political economy. Written at different times, both these studies are characterized by rigorous analysis, mature scholarship, and incisive thinking. The introduction by Dilip M. Nachane provides an overview of economic thought in India in the early twentieth century that was influenced by the nationalist strand, the colonial regime, and–in spite of its fragile theoretical core–the Gandhian economics of Swadeshi, village self-sufficiency, and trusteeship.