Vol. 9, No 2, 2012 pp. 271 - 282
UDC 330.812
MERCANTILIST THOUGHT IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
Predrag Vuković1, Zoran Simonović1, Dragoljub Simonović2
1Institute of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade, Serbia
2University of Niš, Faculty of Economics, Serbia
predrag_v@iep.bg.ac.rs
An insight into the economic thought of the past is significant for fundamental understanding of certain historical events and represents an important anthropogenic legacy. Scientific works on economics of western Balkans philosophers, from the earliest times of economic thought development to the present, have not occupied the attention of contemporary authors to a large extent. However, in order to understand the historical sequence of events that have affected the situation in which we are now, a constant study and analysis of these events is necessary. Also, we all know the maxim that "without understanding the past we cannot understand present or plan our future". The development of modern economic thought in Western Balkans, as well as in Europe, begins with "mercantilism". Mercantilism, as a line of economic thought, was developing simultaneously with then current tendencies in Europe. Turbulent historical events that characterize Western Balkans have not affected the development of economic thought, and we may conclude that, despite certain historical circumstances, the development of economic thought was not "in the dark ages." Numerous authors have given their contribution to the science of economy, and shown that trends were, nonetheless, current in this region as well. Those works are stored in numerous libraries representing historical materials of inestimable value. This study analyzes the development of mercantilist thought in Western Balkans emphasizing the major representatives of this line of economic thought.
Key Words: mercantilism, economy, trade, crafts
MERKATNTILISTISTIČKA MISAO NA PROSTORU ZAPADNOG BALKANA
Pronicanje u ekonomsku misao prošlosti je od suštinskog zanačaja za razumevanje određenih istorijskih događaja i predstavlja važno antropogeno nasleđe. Naučni radovi ekonomskih mislilaca sa prostora Zapadnog Balakana iz najranijih vremena u razvoju ekonomskie misli do danas nisu u velikoj meri zaokupili pažnju savremenih autora. Međutim, kako bi razumeli istorijski sled događaja koji su uticali na stanje u kome se nalazimo, neophodno je njihovo neprestano izučavanje i analiziranje. Dobro je poznata sentenca da "bez razumevanja prošlosti nemožemo razumeti ni sadašnjost, niti planirati svoju budućnost". Razvoj savremene ekonomske misli na prostoru Zapadnog Balkana, kao i u Evropi započinje sa "merkantilizmom". On se kao pravac ekonomske misli uporedo razvijao sa tadašnjim tendencijama u Evropi. Burni istrorijski događaji koji karakterišu prostore Zapadnog Balkana, nisu uticali na razvoj ekonomske misli, odnosno može se konstatovati da i pored određenih istorijskih prilika razvoj ekonomske misli nije bio "u mraku srednjevekovnog ropstva". Brojni autori su dali svoj doprinos ekonomiji kao nauci i pokazali da tadašnji trendovi su, svakako, bili aktuelni i na ovim prostorima. Radovi se čuvaju u velikom broju biblioteka i predstavljaju istorijsku građu od neprocenjive vrednosti.
Ključne reči: merkantilizam, ekonomija, trgovina, zanati