Prologue: opening the door on Malthus's rollercoaster -- Before Malthus: population, economy and environment in eighteenth century England -- Prophets of perfection: a revolutionary triptych -- The first inconvenient truth: Malthus's essay and the quiet revolution of 1798 -- "Diarrhoea of the...

After showing different criteria for assessing economic theories and in general terms the growth of (economic) knowledge, the essentials of classical British economic theory (Political Economy) are outlined. Next the scientific career and the genesis of the works of Ricardo are dealt with. The...