Comprehensive investigations into John Barton's analyses on the contemporary issues and policy proposals

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03584
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic doctrine/Economic thought
• Research Institution: Kanto Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Jou Ishii 関東学院大学, 経済学部, 教授 (10587629)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ジョン・バートン / マルサス / 古典派経済学 / 救貧法 / 植民 / 穀物法 / 自作農 / 資本蓄積

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of the research project is to reveal the whole figure of John Barton (1789-1952) as an economist by examining his works which had not been investigated so much. Barton has been taken as a forerunner of machinery question because of his argument on the effects of the introduction of machinery in the early nineteenth century. However, he also examined the major policy issues at the time in England such as the poor laws, colonization and the corn laws. This indicates that the reevaluation of the contributions of Barton is left to be done. Therefore, the research project investigated the analyses and policy proposals in his works published in 1820 and later, on the problems of poverty in England in the early nineteenth century. This investigation revealed the unnoticed image of Barton as an economist focusing on his appreciation of Malthusian law of population.

Free Research Field

経済学史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、バートンは1820年代以降、貧困問題を考える理論的基礎として、マルサス人口法則を重視するようになった一方、政策的にはマルサスとは異なる立場を取るようになったことが明らかになった。バートンは貧困こそが人々を無思慮にすると考え、寛大な政策こそが望ましいと主張し、救貧法に対してマルサスとは対照的な評価を行った。植民に関する提言では、自作農の創設を重視する立場が示された。また穀物価格と死亡率との関係から、穀物法を支持する独自な主張も展開していた。本研究は、マルサスとの関係を軸にバートンを再評価しうることを示すとともに、資本蓄積および貧困に関するバートン独自の視点を明らかにした。