Early in the history of economic thought, classical economist Adam Smith of the 18th century developed the concept of a stationary state of an economy: Smith believed that any national economy in the world would sooner or later settle in a final state of stationarity.
初期の経済思想史において、18世紀の古典派経済学者のアダム・スミスは経済の定常状態（英: stationary state）の概念を展開した：スミスは世界のいかなる国民経済も早晩定常の終局状態に落ち着くだろうことを信じた。