G. P. Scrope's Political Economy and His Argument about Colonies

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K17035
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Economic doctrine/Economic thought
• Research Institution: Ibaraki National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: ISAKA Tomonori 茨城工業高等専門学校, 国際創造工学科, 准教授 (60583870)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: スクロウプ Scrope, G. P. / 植民地 / 自然権 / 土地制度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Scrope’s economic theory is grounded in natural rights theory, stressing the importance of conditions under which private property is justified, the role of government, and the influence of political institutions - especially those dealing with private property in land. These features are reflected in his views with respect to colonies. For Scrope, the presence of colonies provides a basis for objecting to Malthus, who underestimated political causes and a government’s responsibility to help alleviate poverty. Scrope's criticism of systematic colonization policies is closely related to his appreciation of the owner-occupied farm system. He rejected the emigration of expelled Irish tenants as a prescription for the Irish land problem, instead proposing “home colonization,” based on both natural rights theory and his view pertaining to desirable social institutions related to land occupancy and ownership.

Free Research Field

経済学史