Herbert Metford Thompson and the Generalization of the “Old Rent Concept”

A Note

Bibliographic Data

ID16073373
AuthorsLuca Fiorito (0000-0002-6091-3974, University of Palermo), Matthew McCaffrey (0000-0002-2234-5240, University of Manchester), Matthew id_orcid Mccaffrey (University of Manchester)
Year2026
Volume58
Issue4
Pages527-544
Publication date2026-04-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistory of Political Economy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-2702 • E-ISSN: 1527-1919
PublisherDuke University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1215/00182702-12511422
OpenAlexW7154507824
LanguageEN
References cited13

Herbert Metford Thompson (1856–1939) played a notable role in the transformation of rent theory in the early neoclassical era. His critique of classical and Marshallian views on the subject was well received by his contemporaries, especially in America, and his name is referenced positively in the history of thought literature as an example of an original and independent thinker. However, almost nothing substantial has been written on Thompson, even on his views about distribution, which caught the attention of critics and allies alike. This note provides some background on Thompson and explains his approach to land and rent. It then discusses how his views were negatively received in England by Alfred Marshall and Francis Edgeworth, while being positively received by John B. Clark and others in the United States. The note focuses especially on Thompson's likely influence on Clark

Economic Thought · Generalization · Nothing · Subject (documents · Subject matter · Economic Theory and Institutions · Historical Economic and Social Studies · Political Economy and Marxism

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