Environmental and Economic Systems in Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy

Abstract

Although Harriet Martineau aimed to “illustrate” applied political economy in the Illustrations of Political Economy, she also contributed her own theories. This essay argues that Martineau contributed to economic thinking by imagining how economies depend on the environment. While classical political economy was not always attentive to links with the natural world, Martineau emphasizes how economic activity engages with both local and global ecosystems. Across the tales, she suggests how these ecosystems undergird economic activity while also acting in ways that supersede human control, seen in her characters’ struggles with such natural disasters as famines, floods, and hurricanes.