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Productive activities and the wealth of nations: some reasons for Quesnay's failure and Smith's success

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  • Jean Cartelier

Abstract

The opposition between productive activity (agriculture) and unproductive ones (the others) underlies the Tableau economique. Smith borrows Quesnay's theory of production but deeply transforms it into a distinction between productive and unproductive labour. In any case, it seems quite natural to relate the increase of the wealth of a nation to the relative importance of productive activities vis-a-vis unproductive ones. Quesnay and Smith both share this view. However, if Smith is perfectly right in doing so, Quesnay has failed to prove a definite relation between the fraction of the revenue spent with respect to the productive sector, on the one hand, and the level or growth of the revenue, on the other. Differences in political philosophy may account for this unequal analytical performance.

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  • Jean Cartelier, 2003. "Productive activities and the wealth of nations: some reasons for Quesnay's failure and Smith's success," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 409-427.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:eujhet:v:10:y:2003:i:3:p:409-427
    DOI: 10.1080/0967256032000106670
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Heinz D. Kurz & Neri Salvadori (ed.), 1998. "The Elgar Companion to Classical Economics," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, volume 0, number 851.
    2. Cartelier, Jean, 2002. "Tableau Économique and Quesnay's Views on Wealth Power: An Inquiry into Consistency," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(1), pages 55-71, March.
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