This paper presents a critical analysis of the naïve neoclassical theory of capital by applying it to Turkish economic history. The paper first develops a unified framework of theoretical predictions on growth, distribution, and dynamic inefficiency. This framework clarifies why the naïve neoclassical theory remains largely misleading in understanding the historical, macro dynamics of a growing, capitalist economy. Using this framework and long-run macroeconomic data for the 1923–2005 period, the paper establishes a new set of empirical findings that contribute to the related literature on Turkey. The paper then discusses the limitations of the naïve neoclassical theory by building on these empirical results and some lessons from Turkish economic history. This discussion summarizes some empirical findings on the distributional causes and consequences of growth in Turkey, by focusing mainly on the role of heterodox theories of growth and distribution.

本文通过将其应用于土耳其经济史，对幼稚的新古典资本理论进行了批判性分析。本文首先开发了一个关于增长、分配和动态无效率的理论预测的统一框架。这个框架阐明了为什么幼稚的新古典主义理论在理解不断增长的资本主义经济的历史宏观动态方面仍然具有很大的误导性。使用这个框架和 1923 年至 2005 年期间的长期宏观经济数据，本文建立了一组新的实证研究结果，为土耳其的相关文献做出了贡献。然后，本文以这些实证结果和土耳其经济史的一些教训为基础，讨论了朴素的新古典主义理论的局限性。