The last few decades have witnessed an enduring revival of interest in the history of economic thought. An increasing stream of publications has introduced new ideas to existing areas of study, and has explored fields of study which, up until now, have been largely ignored. One such field of study is the evolution of economic thought in individual countries.
This collection of essays considers the evolution of economic thought in France. The period covered is vast, extending from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, but the individual chapters do not intend to deal with the subject consecutively, nor exhaustively. The aim is to bring to the forefront those economists, themes and controversies which are important in the context of recent research, and about which new ideas can be developed.
The contributors consider economists such as Galiani, Necker, Turgot, Say, Sismondi, Dupuit, Walras, and Bicquilley – a recently rediscovered, historically important economist. The themes which are explored include Law’s System, the application of mathematics and probability theory to economics, the debates on the transition to a market economy, the ‘science des affaires’, the spread of marginalist economics and Walras monetary theory.
