*For full programme of INET YSI WG on History of Economic Thought online seminar see attached.* The *Institute of New Economic Thinking* *Young Scholars Initiative *(INET YSI) *Working Group on the History of Economic Thought* is organising a monthly *Young Scholars online seminar* in *History of Economic Thought* *Monday 10 April, 17:00 CET (summer time)* *Utility Matters: Malinvaud and growth theory in the 1950s and 1960s* Matheus Assaf, University of São Paulo *Discussant*: Till Düppe, UQAM *Chair:* Camila Orozco Espinel, EHESS To join the session, click here: *https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/815086087 <https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/815086087>* Please use your full first and last names as identifiers to facilitate communication. *Abstract* The textbook narrative of the development of growth models usually takes Robert Solow’s 1956 contribution as a key starting point. In Solow’s one-good model the saving rate is exogenous and, therefore, the next important development is a one-good model in which agents optimize utility and choose the saving rate, which is the case in the so-called “Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans” model developed in the early 1960s. As it is often the case, the potted histories that typically appear in textbooks are historically misleading as they organize past developments usually based on theoretical concerns: in the above case, the one-good model moving from exogenous to endogenous savings. However, the road connecting Solow to the Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans model is not so straightforward. In particular, the contributions of David Cass and Tjalling Koopmans came out of the activity analysis and multi-sector models literature. And here Edmond Malinvaud played an important role in developing a utilitarian intertemporal framework. Being a student of Maurice Allais and knowing the multi-sector model of John von Neumann, Malinvaud insisted that activity analysis had to move beyond the typical production efficiency analysis to one that included the consumption of individuals. In this paper, we hope to have a richer historical account of the developments of growth theory in the 1950s and 1960s, and to stress the contribution of Malinvaud to the works of Koopmans and Cass. *About the Presenter* Matheus Assaf is a first year PhD student at the University of São Paulo. He received his master's degree from the same university under the supervision of Pedro Garcia Duarte (co-author of the paper that will be presented in the webinar). Matheus research interests include the history of economic theory after World War II, in particular the history of mathematical economics, general equilibrium theory and growth theory. *About the Young Scholars online seminar in History of Economic Thought* This seminar aims to offer an opportunity for young scholars worldwide pursuing questions in the History of Economic Thought to receive expert feedback and extend their academic network without the need for expensive travelling. This year’s iteration of the seminar will comprise sessions of one young scholar’s presentation, followed by discussion by a senior scholar, and a general discussion. The seminar will be held online via video conference, making use of the software GoToMeeting, which permits high quality video and audio communication and PowerPoint presentations with up to a hundred participants. For any queries please contact us at *[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>*.