Recent interest in convergence raises questions in the history of thought concerning the origins of the concern over convergence. We find that in the classical period, interest in convergence centred around the connection between the growth of neighbouring countries and one’s own country. Convergence was often thought to be parasitic; countries grow at the expense of their neighbours. Writers taking this view advocated policies designed to seal their country from the negative effects of such growth. Writers making the opposite connection, i.e. growth is contagious, advocated open market policies and based their optimism on the limitless expansion of scientific knowledge.
