The neomercantilists: a global intellectual history

At a time when critiques of free trade policies are gaining currency, 'The Neomercantilists' helps make sense of the protectionist turn, providing the first intellectual history of the genealogy of neomercantilism. Eric Helleiner identifies many pioneers of this ideology between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries who backed strategic protectionism and other forms of government economic activism to promote state wealth and power. They included not just the famous Friedrich List, but also numerous lesser-known thinkers, many of whom came from outside of the West.

Frontmatter -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Neomercantilism's Diverse Intellectual Origins -- Part I THE LISTIAN INTELLECTUAL WORLD -- 1. Some Pioneers in List's German-US-French Context -- 2. Friedrich List's Idiosyncratic Synthesis -- 3. Some List-Inspired Contributions across the World -- 4. List-Inspired Neomercantilism beyond the Nation-State -- Part II HENRY CAREY AND HIS SUPPORTERS -- 5. The Emergence of Henry Carey's Distinctive Vision -- 6. The Global Influence and Adaptation of Carey's Ideas -- Part III ENDOGENOUS ROOTS OF EAST ASIAN NEOMERCANTILISM -- 7. Local Origins in Japan -- 8. Some Neglected Chinese Pioneers -- 9. Another Chinese Contribution and Korea's Gaehwa Group -- Part IV OTHER THEORISTS AND PRACTITIONERS -- 10. Early Theorists in Russia and the Canadian Backwoods -- 11. Practitioners in Egypt, Poland, and Latin America -- 12. The Asante and the Pan-African Movement -- Conclusion: What Legacies? -- References -- Index

"At a time when critiques of free trade policies are gaining currency, The Neomercantilists helps make sense of the protectionist turn, providing the first intellectual history of the genealogy of neomercantilism. Eric Helleiner identifies many pioneers of this ideology between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries who backed strategic protectionism and other forms of government economic activism to promote state wealth and power. They included not just the famous Friedrich List, but also numerous lesser-known thinkers, many of whom came from outside of the West."--

"This book analyzes the emergence of neomercantilist thought between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries, highlighting the global origins of this ideology, its diverse varieties, and the lasting legacies of the ideas of its pioneers on the politics of the world economy."