<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.jesushuertadesoto.com/articles/articles-in-english/juan-de-mariana-and-the-spanish-scholastics/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Huerta de Soto, Jesús</a>. “<a href="https://mises.org/library/biography-juan-de-mariana-influence-spanish-scholastics-1536-1624" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Biography of Juan de Mariana: The Influence of the Spanish Scholastics (1536-1624)</a>.” Article. <em>Mises Institute</em> (blog), August 1, 2007:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>the Spanish scholastics were the first ones to introduce the dynamic concept of competition (in Latin <em>concurrentium</em>), which is best understood as a process of rivalry among entrepreneurs. For instance, <strong>Jeronimo Castillo de Bovadilla</strong> (1547 ?) wrote that &quot;prices will go down as a result of the abundance, rivalry (<em>emulacion</em>), and competition (<em>concurrencia</em>) among the sellers.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-27T12:10:52.167Z
Not sure why you think this is the *first* instance. In [their comment](https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/52168/who-first-promoted-the-idea-that-competition-leads-to-a-better-economy#comment84937_52168) AKdemy cites a source that is two millenia older.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-28T02:56:07.650Z
@Giskard Rothbard ([_Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought_](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=5391) vol. 1, §1.3) didn't consider Hesiod among the "‘economists’ in the modern sense".
Geremia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-28T08:15:01.230Z
The requirement that the thinker should be an economist is not in your question, [you specifically write](https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/52168/who-first-promoted-the-idea-that-competition-leads-to-a-better-economy/57033?noredirect=1#comment84735_52168) "*philosophers included*"
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-25T22:15:11.777Z
2023-11-25T22:15:11.777Z
Geremia
<p>Who first promoted the the idea that <a href="https://wiki.mises.org/wiki/Competition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">competition</a> leads to a better economy?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-25T05:35:13.280Z
Can you please define "economist"? Do we count the pilosophers of old (like Adam Smith) as economists?
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-26T04:36:57.567Z
@Giskard Yes, philosophers included
Geremia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-26T07:49:36.137Z
I will edit the question so instead of "Which economist" it will read "Who".
Giskard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-04T11:04:43.807Z
Interesting question. I have no idea but did some online research. It seems the benefits of competition were discussed at least as early as [Hesiod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiod) who [highlighted](https://ideasofeconomists.com/2018/06/21/the-first-economist-hesiod-and-the-problem-of-scarcity/) the benefits of competition (called "good conflict" by him) for economic growth and relieving the basic problem of scarcity.
AKdemy
<reference-request><history-economic-thought><history><philosophy-of-economics><free-market>
Who first promoted the idea that competition leads to a better economy?
Geremia
# Who first promoted the idea that competition leads to a better economy?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-25)

Who first promoted the the idea that [competition](https://wiki.mises.org/wiki/Competition) leads to a better economy?

**Tags:** reference-request, history-economic-thought, history, philosophy-of-economics, free-market

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you please define "economist"? Do we count the pilosophers of old (like Adam Smith) as economists?  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Yes, philosophers included  
> **username_1**: I will edit the question so instead of "Which economist" it will read "Who".  
> **username_2**: Interesting question. I have no idea but did some online research. It seems the benefits of competition were discussed at least as early as [Hesiod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesiod) who [highlighted](https://ideasofeconomists.com/2018/06/21/the-first-economist-hesiod-and-the-problem-of-scarcity/) the benefits of competition (called "good conflict" by him) for economic growth and relieving the basic problem of scarcity.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2023-11-25. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

* [Huerta de Soto, Jesús](https://www.jesushuertadesoto.com/articles/articles-in-english/juan-de-mariana-and-the-spanish-scholastics/). “[Biography of Juan de Mariana: The Influence of the Spanish Scholastics (1536-1624)](https://mises.org/library/biography-juan-de-mariana-influence-spanish-scholastics-1536-1624).” Article. *Mises Institute* (blog), August 1, 2007:

> the Spanish scholastics were the first ones to introduce the dynamic concept of competition (in Latin *concurrentium*), which is best understood as a process of rivalry among entrepreneurs. For instance, **Jeronimo Castillo de Bovadilla** (1547 ?) wrote that "prices will go down as a result of the abundance, rivalry (*emulacion*), and competition (*concurrencia*) among the sellers."

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not sure why you think this is the *first* instance. In [their comment](https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/52168/who-first-promoted-the-idea-that-competition-leads-to-a-better-economy#comment84937_52168) username_2 cites a source that is two millenia older.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Rothbard ([_Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought_](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=5391) vol. 1, §1.3) didn't consider Hesiod among the "‘economists’ in the modern sense".  
> **username_1**: The requirement that the thinker should be an economist is not in your question, [you specifically write](https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/52168/who-first-promoted-the-idea-that-competition-leads-to-a-better-economy/57033?noredirect=1#comment84735_52168) "*philosophers included*"  

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