Modern economic theory is customarily said to have begun with Adam Smith
(1723-1790). Adam Smith was influenced by a wide number of economic thinkers,
going all the way back to the ancient Greek philosophers. The works of Aristotle
had a profound influence on Thomas Aquinas and, through Aquinas, on subsequent
scholastic thinking. Economic thought dates from earlier Mesopotamian, Greek,
Roman, Indian, Chinese, Persian and Arab civilizations. Notable writers include
Aristotle, Chanakya (also known as Kautilya), Qin Shi Huang, Thomas Aquinas and
Ibn Khaldun through to the 14th century. Bryson of Heraclea was a new-platonic
who is cited as having heavily influenced early Muslim economic scholarship.
Joseph Schumpeter initially