The sustainable development along the history of the economic thought

Abstract

The objective of this paper is analyzing the origin of the term Sustainable Development. With this aim we revise the History of the Economic Thought up to XXth century, when this term appears, while synthesizing the key contributions of different authors about Economic Growth: Physiocrats, Mercantilists, Classic, Neoclassic. Next, we analyze the different Theories of the Economic Development, distinguishing five groups. Finally, we tackle the conceptual frame of the Sustainable Development, presenting the conflicting positions supported by ecological economists and economists environmentalists, highlighting as well a few important issues on the concept of Human Sustainable DevelopmentEconomic growth theory, human sustainable development, theories of development