ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the relationship between natural resources and economy an aspect of economic geography that is often neglected in theoretical work. It begins by contrasting neoclassical and political economic theoretical visions of nature and scarcity. It also demonstrates that the scarcity of natural resources is determined by class conflict over distributional shares of the surplus. In particular, it shows that a penetrating analysis of scarcity and rent can be provided by starting with the social relations of production and distribution. The chapter focuses on two traditions of political economy: Marxism and neo-Ricardianism. It argues that the neo-Ricardian rent theory is improved by linking it to Marx's conception of social relations - as currently conceptualized the neo-Ricardian theory undertheorizes social class and conflict. It also focuses on the power of landlords as a class in determining differential rents I and II, postponing discussion of absolute/monopoly rent.
