The Theory of Money and Credit

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First edition (in German) TheorieDesGeldesUndDerUmlaufsmittel.jpg
First edition (in German)

The Theory of Money and Credit is a 1912 economics book written by Ludwig von Mises, originally published in German as Theorie des Geldes und der Umlaufsmittel. In it Mises expounds on his theory of the origins of money through his regression theorem, which is based on logical argumentation. It is one of the foundational works of the Misesian branch of the Austrian School of economic thought.

Contents

Commodity money exists today. Mises looks at the origin, nature and value of money, and its effect on determining monetary policy. It does not concern all adaptations of money. He uses the so-called regression theorem, a statement backed by a step by step, logical reasoning. Mises explains why money is demanded in its own right. According to Mises, money has historically come about after there has been a demand for the money commodity in a barter economy.

Applications

Along with Carl Menger's Principles of Economics , and Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk's Capital and Interest , the book is one of the foundational works of the Austrian School.

Publication history

Criticism

According to Michael Hendricks, "the regression theorem does a good job of explaining the creation of money, however it does not necessarily apply to all forms of money." [3]

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The Regression Theorem, first proposed by Ludwig von Mises in his 1912 book The Theory of Money and Credit, states that the value of money can be traced back ("regressed") to its value as a commodity. The theorem claims that at a point in time there was a good with objective exchange value based on the value of it as a commodity, which lead to the good's capacity in given circumstances to procure a specific quantity of other goods as an equivalent in exchange and is derived from the human process of valuing individual goods not granted from nature, based on emotion which was then gradually adopted as money.

References

  1. 1914 review by J.M. Keynes.
  2. Hülsmann, Jörg Guido, 2007. Mises: The Last Knight of Liberalism. p. 217, note 7.
  3. Michael Hendricks (6 June 2013). "Reconciling the Regression Theorem with Bitcoin". Seth King. Retrieved 12 December 2014.