ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the contribution of British neo-classical economists particularly through the Economic Journal, the journal of the Royal Economic Society, during the first twenty-five years of its existence. There seem to be two main reasons for this preoccupation with the problems relating to trade, labour, poverty and public finance: First, that these were aspects on which the Principles of Economics, as an introductory volume, had not much to say; but for which it had, along with other contributions of Marshall, prepared and equipped his younger contemporaries. Second, these were the problems raised by the changing nature of the labour movement and of the international market, as well as by the growing awareness of the existence of poverty and suffering in the nation with which the public authorities, economists, politicians and social reformers were faced.
