Regional economic development – a theoretical and historical review

Abstract

The contemporary economic history presents a clear rejection of the idea that the social and the cultural life are directly and linearly determined by the dimensions of the economy. The purpose of this essay is to promote a conceptual discussion of economic development. They try to present the theoretical debate between economists and historians about development, pointing out the differences among the concepts of economic growth and development that underlie their positions. The confrontation between different perspectives explored in this paper shows that regional development policy must be rethought and toward the development of conceptual categories that overcome the limitations of purely economic analyses.