ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the period from mercantilism to the end of Classical Political Economy with J. S. Mill. It focuses on Japan and the cultural background of Japanese economists before and during World War II. The book discusses some of the lessons which economists in the Western world drew from the experience of WWII and their projects for a different economic order. It focuses on the "food weapon", that is, the strategic behavior of nations which exploit their dominant position on the foodstuff market deliberately to starve the populations. In focusing on the concept of the food weapon, Clément and Soliani examine the economic and political trends in each period, from mercantilism to the heyday of the British Classical School. The book concludes with Nao Saito's reflections on liberal economic thought and the commitment of economists against the war.
