Technology, Communications, Economics and Progress

Abstract

The scope of the topics which form the title of this chapter is extraordinarily ambitious. I hasten to say that I am not bold enough to have chosen this myself, but it does at least suggest the appropriate analytical framework within which I, as an economist, should treat this subject.¹ That framework is provided by the classical theory of longterm economic growth or economic progress Unlike its neo-classical counterpart — the theory of steady-state growth — the range of variables in the classical theory is broad enough to encompass the diverse topics proposed, and its methods — those of political economy — are sufficiently flexible to handle the major issues which arise. Of course the adequacy of the treatment of the topic depends entirely upon the author, but at least he is not crippled from the start by the necessity of working within an analytical strait-jacket which compels him to disregard some of the more important variables simply because they are not easily or usefully quantifiable.