THE RELATION BETWEEN STATICS AND DYNAMICS 
John Maurice Clark 
1. Forecast of the Argument 
Tue task which forms the subject of this essay is essentially 
that of one who wishes to carry forward the work of his greatest 
teacher from the point at which that teacher left it. From this 
standpoint the main problem is how to proceed from static to 
dynamic economics. This problem will be viewed in the light 
of the fact that we possess a substantially complete static eco- 
nomics, while dynamics is in its infancy; of the further fact that 
statics is essentially provisional, a stepping-stone to dynamics, 
simplifying the problem by attacking first those features which do 
not involve change; and of the final fact that dynamics must 
restore realism by putting in everything that statics leaves out, 
so far as possible within the limits of human understanding. 
In this view of the purpose of statics and the scope of dynamics, 
the writer is directly following his father’s teachings on these 
matters. Naturally, in attempting to do justice to such an all- 
inclusive view of dynamics, it becomes necessary to utilise 
material derived from a multitude of sources, often widely 
divergent in character. 
As to method of procedure, the question arises whether we 
should start with static conclusions, add dynamic elements one 
at a time and make allowances for the resulting “disturbances” of 
static equilibrium, or whether we should follow a more funda- 
mental method, going back to the premises and replacing static 
by dynamic assumptions and then building upon them. This 
will, of course, require inductive methods in establishing the 
premises of a dynamic study; after which the problem remains 
whether, having got such premises, we shall be in a position to 
proceed deductively, or whether more induction will be necessary 
in reaching the conclusions of the dynamic study. The further 
question arises, to what extent it will be found that dynamics 
ag, 
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