3 Review(s)

Kautilya: The True Founder of Economics, by Balbir Singh Sihag, highlights the colossal contribution of Kautilya to economic thought. It also asserts that the Arthashastra demonstrates how the Hindu civilization has never been averse to economic growth. Summary of the Book The Arthashastra clearly promotes the aims of both material well-being and righteous behavior as a consistent whole and denounces any deviation from that state of being. This title makes a serious attempt to revise the currently accepted history of economic thought. It is claimed that Kautilya's Arthashastra marks the origin of economic thought and that it was written long before Adam Smith was recognised as the founder of economics. Strong and valid arguments are presented by the author in this book, to explain why Kautilya should be regarded as the founder of economics. The book also calls Kautilya's Arthashastra “Dharmanomics”, economics built on an ethical foundation. The idea projects economics and economic policy in a meaningful and socially desirable perspective. About Balbir Singh Sihag Professor Balbir Singh Sihag is the Emeritus of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was awarded merit scholarships in high school and college, and he later completed his Master's degree in Economics.