The Classical Foundations of Population Thought - From Plato to Quesnay

Whereas the history of demography as a social science has been amply explored, that of the construction of the concept of population has been neglected. Specialists systematically ignore a noteworthy paradox: strictly speaking, the great intellectual figures of the past dealt with in this book have not produced demographic theories or doctrines as such, but they have certainly given some thought to population at both levels. First, the central epistemological and methodological orientation of the book is presented. Ideas on population, far from being part of the harmonious advancement of knowledge are the product of their context, that is evidently demographic, but also economic, political and above all intellectual. Then the ideas on population of Plato, Bodin, the French mercantilists, Quesnay and the physiocrats are examined under this light. The last chapter addresses the implicit philosophical, economic and political issues of population thought.

Born 1945. Professor of demography (classe exceptionnelle) Université Paris Descartes Training : MA Sociology and MA Economics ( Sorbonne), Diploma Sciences Po (Paris) D.Phil. Oxford, Doctorat es-Lettres (Paris). Chair of the Scientific Board of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Member of the Strategic comittee at the University level. Director of the Centre Population et Développement (CEPED, Université Paris Descartes, l'INED et l'IRD). 44 full-time teaching and research staff Published 17 books, 62 peer reviewed articles, etc. on international migrations, population theories and doctrines, family and fertility) Founding member of the the Revue Européenne des Migrations Internationales. Chief editor of the series Populations (L'Harmattan). Chief editor of Demographic Transformation and Socio-Economic Change (Springer) Worked as a consultant for UNFPA UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, World Bank, Coopération française, UNESCO. Field experience in several African, Carribean and South-East Asian countries.