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POLITICAL ECONOMY AND SOCIOLOGY.
455
During the first part of the 19th century we find Swedish political economy
developing under a strong influence of the doctrines of Ådam Smith and the »classical
political economy» of England, Germany, and France. There are, however, also
works with a mercantile tint, e. g. those of L. G. Rabenius (1771/1846). From
the middle of the century two other systems oppose each other: on the one side
the old protectionism, and on the other the »liberal» or individualistic tendency
that had and still has its chief home in France. Original Swedish works —
mostly in the form of pamphlets or short essays — during that period chiefly treated
practical-political questions. As the most distinguished among the authors of
this class H. Forssell (1843/1901) may be mentioned. A particularly
meritorious account, from a liberal point of view, of »The political Economy of Sweden’s
so-called Era of Liberty» was published by V. Arnberg (1832/1900).
It is in fact not until about 1880 that the German historical and
social-political school began to influence Swedish research. In a joint publication, called
»Ekonomiska Samhällslifvet» (The Economic and Social Life), partly founded on
German works of this kind, J. Leffler (born 1845), A. Raphael (born 1850),
G. Sundbärg (born 1857), C. Rosenberg (born 1843), a. o., have given an account
of the different parts of political economy. Leffler has also among other works,
published a condensed digest of national economics (»Grundlinier», 1881) and also
outlines of the economic life, especially of the modern »capitalistic» society
(»Nationalekonomiens grunddrag», 1902). Raphael has published several comprehensive
accounts of earlier and modern social legislation of Sweden and of other countries
as well as of the Labour question, especially on conciliation and arbitration, and
finally of the habitation question. D. Davidson (born 1854) has published a
history of the theory on the rent of land, works about the central banks of Europe,
the income-tax, etc. The mathematically talented K. Wicksell (born 1851) is an
adherent and developer of the theories of the Austrian school. In works, published
in German, he has especially considered the problems of taxes and money from
a theoretical point of view. Of his broadly planned Swedish »Lecture on national
economy» has appeared hitherto only vol. I of the first, theoretical part (1901).
G. Steffen (born 1864) is the author — besides of spirited sketches from English
social and economic life, etc. — of a work in Swedish on the history of the
labouring classes in England, two parts (1894/99), whose p. I has appeared,
enlarged, in German (1901). An investigator of decidedly political-social tendency
is P. Fahlbeck (born 1850), known also as statistician. Of låte years G. Cassel
(born 1866) has made his appearance as an assiduous and successful author on the
subjects of political economy and financial science.
An endowment by legacy of V. E. Lorén (1858/85) has made possible
the publication of important series of more or less independent social-scientific
works, entitled: »Skrifter utgifna af Lorénska Stiftelsen»; I—XVII, 1890/99
(Essays, published by the Lorénian Foundation). Most of these pamphlets treat
social phenomena in Sweden, and the series in full has prepared the way for
the introduction into Sweden of modern labour-statistical research. Other valuable
series of publications are: Proceedings, published by the Political-economical
Society in Stockholm (founded in 1877); »Ekonomisk Tidskrift» (Economical Review),
published in Uppsala since 1899, under the editorship of Professor Davidson; and
»Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift» (Magazine of Political Science), published since 1897,
at present edited by Professor Fahlbeck in Lund. Of great interest are the
official researches in labour statistics, which have been carried on since 1897.
Within that science which under the name of sociology has begun to restrict
itself from political economy, but is nearly related to the latter as well as partly
to philosophy — is to be noticed G. Björklund (1846/1903), known for several
original and penetrating philosophic-sociological and also purely philosophical
works.
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