Date of Award

11-2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Economics

First Advisor

Robert Urquhart

Keywords

Economics, Technology

Abstract

This thesis asks whether or not technological change needs to be explained by economic theory. The current academic literature is limited in providing theoretical account of the process of technological change. This thesis analyzes the economic theories of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, the neoclassical doctrine, and Joseph Schumpeter in their respective accounts of technological change. The theoretical frameworks of the different theories are critiqued in their ability to account for technological change. This leads to a discussion of whether purely subjective individual choices can lead to a theoretical account of technological change or if the decisions must be based within an objective order that shapes and motivates the decisions. A necessary part of this argument is whether or not history should be accounted for by economic theory. The analysis attempts to show what a theoretical account of the process of technological change must look like.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. This work may only be accessed by members of the University of Denver community. The work is provided by permission of the author for individual research purposes only and may not be further copied or distributed. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Kyle Glenn

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

115 pgs

Discipline

Economics

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