Quantitative Dimensions of Human Capital Analysis in the Talmudic Tradition

Abstract

Of any group of ancient or medieval thinkers it is the Talmudic writers who came closest to the thought world of the modern human capital theorists. The only other group which might be considered in this regard is the one comprising the jurists of ancient Rome. However, the insights of the jurists were confined to the context of discussion of damages with respect to sales of slave capital. The rabbis, by contrast, ranged beyond the question of damages. Furthermore, they employed human capital concepts in the examination of issues relating to free persons as well as slaves. There were three main points of departure for Talmudic debate in the field of human capital analysis. One of these was the biblical account, in the book of Exodus, of the construction of the Tabernacle. Another was the problem of estimation of appropriate compensation in cases of physical and psychological injury. A third involved attempts at the valuation of human life, which were evoked by the section of the book of Leviticus which deals with the dedication of persons to the sanctuary.

Citation

Ohrenstein, R.A. and Gordon, B. (1989), "Quantitative Dimensions of Human Capital Analysis in the Talmudic Tradition", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 16 No. 6, pp. 5-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb014125