Arthur Pigou - Definition and Overview

Arthur Cecil Pigou (November 18, 1877 - March 7, 1959) was an English economist, known for his work in many fields and particularly in welfare economics. He was a graduate of King's College, Cambridge, where he studied under Alfred Marshall. He later succeeded Marshall as professor of political economy. He served on a number of royal commissions including the 1919 commission on income tax.

Pigou pioneered welfare economics. Pigovian taxes, taxes used to correct negative externalities, are named in his honor.

Pigou was a professor of economics at Cambridge University from 1908 to 1943. In 1920, he published the influential book The Economics of Welfare.

Selected works

• The Economics of Welfare, 4th ed. 1932.ISBN 0765807394
• Keynes's General Theory: A Retrospective View. 1950.
• The Political Economy of War. 1921.
• The Theory of Unemployment. 1933.
• Unemployment. 1914.
• Wealth and Welfare. 1912.

See also

• Pigovian tax
• Pigou effect