Thiruvalluvar The India Economists Philosopher

 Thiruvalluvar

The economic ideas of Thiruvalluvar are found in his immortal work, Thirukkural, a book of ethics. Even though scholars differ widely over the estimation of the period of Thiruvalluvar, it is generally believed that, he belonged to the Sangam Age in TamilNadu, around 3rd century AD. Thiruvalluvar's work is marked by pragmatic idealism.

 Thirukkural contains three important parts, viz., Aram, Porul, and Inbam which literally means Dharma (Ethics), Artha (Polity) and Kama (Bondage or love), which are the aims of life of a Hindu. The fourth aim of life was Moksha or Veedu (Liberation).

 Thiruvalluvar deliberately excluded this fourth division in his book, as it is the exclusive area of spiritual literature. Thus Thiruvalluvar did not mix spiritualism with earthly things. A large part of Valluvar's economic ideas are found in the second part of Thirukkural-the Porutpal It deals with wealth. Thiruvalluvar was a pragmatic thinker and his porutpal shows three characteristic features of the author. Firstly, Thirukkal has certain elements of classicism. So he can be identified as a classical economist.

 Secondly, his economic ideas were based under ethics and hence he can be called as normative economist. Finally, his treatise speaks about general welfare and hence he can be identified as a welfare economist. Thus he had in him, classicism, normatism and welfare ideal. Thiruvalluvar was a fundamental thinker. He believed that rains were the basic support of life Since rain furnishes food, it forms the basis for stable economic life.

 Agriculture which is the most fundamental economic activity depends on rain. "It is rain that both ruins and aids the ruined to rise