Henry George's legacy in economic thought

Abstract

Henry George's Progress and Poverty sold more than 3 million copies by the time of its 50th anniversary in 1929 -outselling other works on economics - yet today economics students can complete their courses without ever having heard of the author's name. This collection aims to redress this neglect, by presenting a range of perspectives on Henry George's fertile ideas which, it is increasingly argued, merit revisiting in terms of their capactiy to contribute towards solutions to current problems including runaway land values, nationalization of land, monopoloy control of public assets and environmental degradation. The book also discusses George's significant theoretical contributions, including the 'Henry George Theorem' - named after him by two Nobel prize winning economists - and important insights bearing on the relation of evolutionary theory to economics. The authors also discuss George's powerful influence on the economic development of Australia and new Zealand, and the affinity he felt for these countries is also considered.