The economy: its origin, motives and the institutionalization of its teaching on local, national, and international levels.

XVII-XX centuries

Abstract

This article highlights the factors contributing to the rise of the Economy, the motives behind the development of the science of economics, the purposes behind the institutionalized teaching of Economics in the university system, and the ways the Economy has supported the development of society. On the international level, since the 17th century, the economic debate has been characterized by the philosophical conceptualization of the Economy, which ex- plains how an individual pursuing his own benefit can contribute to the general welfare. The science of Economics has historically been based on discussions related to the economic value of the utility of goods. In the United States, economic development has as its base the knowledge carried out in Europe, which seeks to explain the distribution of goods and services. In Colombia, the institutionali- zation of Economic teachings originated at the beginning of the 20th century, seeking not the theoretical advance of the science, but the troubleshooting of social and governmental problems. On the local level, the study and teaching of Economics originated in the belief that the discipline would generate a bridge of integration between the University of Nariño and society; the purpose of which would be to contribute to the knowledge of the causes that have maintained the Department in a low economic state, as well as a search for solutions to the problems of regional development.