Technical Progress

Background

Technical progress refers to advancements and improvements in the knowledge of production techniques. These improvements can lead to increased output with the same input levels, the same output with reduced inputs, or the creation of entirely new products that were previously impossible. The concept is crucial for understanding economic growth, productivity, and the development of new technologies.

Historical Context

Historically, technical progress has been a driving force behind economic transformations and the rise of industrial economies. Key periods of rapid technical progress include the Industrial Revolution, the rise of information technology in the late 20th century, and ongoing advancements in automation and artificial intelligence.

Definitions and Concepts

Disembodied Technical Progress: Productivity improvements that stem from new knowledge or better skills, which do not require new physical equipment.
Embodied Technical Progress: Productivity improvements that necessitate investments in new capital equipment, new intermediate products, or infrastructure.
Harrod-Neutral Technical Progress: A specific type of technical improvement that does not affect the capital-labor ratio, maintaining a constant marginal productivity of capital.
Hicks-Neutral Technical Progress: A type of technical progress that increases the productivity uniformly across capital and labor.

Major Analytical Frameworks

Classical Economics

In Classical Economics, technical progress is often considered an external factor affecting production capacities, represented by shifts in the production possibility frontier.

Neoclassical Economics

Neoclassical economists integrate technical progress into growth models, especially those incorporating Solow’s Growth Model, where it shapes long-term economic growth by affecting the efficiency of labor and capital.

Keynesian Economics

While Keynesian economics primarily focuses on aggregate demand in the short term, technical progress is acknowledged as a significant driver for long-term economic performance and potential growth.

Marxian Economics

Marxian economics views technical progress through the lens of capital accumulation and the dynamics of capitalist economies, emphasizing its role in altering the modes of production and the labor process.

Institutional Economics

This school examines how institutions, such as patents and education systems, influence the rate and direction of technical progress.

Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economists study how psychological and social factors impact the adoption and dissemination of new technologies, which is crucial for understanding the path of technical progress.

Post-Keynesian Economics

Post-Keynesian scholars focus on how income distribution and financial structures impact technological change and technical progress within the economy.

Austrian Economics

Austrians emphasize the role of entrepreneurship and market processes in driving technological innovations and technical advances.

Development Economics

Development economists analyze the relationships between technical progress and economic development, particularly in emerging economies.

Monetarism

Monetarists might consider technical progress as significant for influencing productivity and, hence, potential output, which in turn affects the supply-side of the economy.

Comparative Analysis

Comparing technical progress across various economic traditions reveals differing focus areas, such as the source of progress in Neoclassical (efficiency improvements) versus Marxian (capital dynamics), or the emphasis on market mechanisms in Austrian versus institutional roles in Institutional Economics.

Case Studies

Industrial Revolution: Marked by significant embodied technical progress requiring new machines and factories.
Information Age: Characterized by both disembodied progress (software development) and embodied progress (computer hardware).

Suggested Books for Further Studies

The Economics of Technical Change by Giovanni Dosi
Innovation and Growth in the Global Economy by Gene Grossman and Elhanan Helpman
The Theory of Economic Growth by W. Arthur Lewis

Disembodied Technical Progress: Productivity improvements from non-physical advancements in knowledge or skills.
Embodied Technical Progress: Enhancements requiring new equipment or physical changes in the production process.
Harrod-Neutral Technical Progress: A form of technical progress that maintains a constant capital-labor ratio.
Hicks-Neutral Technical Progress: A form of technical progress that uniformly increases productivity across both capital and labor.