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On the existence of a French school of the science of commerce (1751-1759)

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  • Jean Daniel Boyer

Abstract

Often considered merely as a circle, the Gournay network was in fact a true school of economic thought that sought to develop and promote the science of commerce with the aim of reforming the French monarchy and transforming it into a commercial, colonial and maritime power, capable of overcoming the power of England. All its members followed the principles laid down by Gournay; all proposed the same scheme. Gournay’s school would thus be the concrete expression of the French mercantile system; i.e. the form that French mercantilism took in the 1750s. Its main objective was to generate trade surpluses, which would contribute to lower interest rates and so catalyse economic growth, increasing the prosperity and power of the French state.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean Daniel Boyer, 2023. "On the existence of a French school of the science of commerce (1751-1759)," Working Papers of BETA 2023-21, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2023-21
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    File URL: http://beta.u-strasbg.fr/WP/2023/2023-21.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard van den Berg, 2019. "Circular reasoning. Forbonnais and the intricate history of circular flow analysis in the 1750s," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 1107-1152, November.
    2. Gabriel Sabbagh, 2016. "Cantillon In French And English. Two Editions By Richard Van Den Berg And Antoin E. Murphy: New Facts And Hypotheses," Contributions to Political Economy, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 35(1), pages 91-126.
    3. Jean-Daniel Boyer, 2022. "Police of individual interests against police of good order: Herbert’s Essay on the general police of grain as an attack on Delamare’s Treatise on the police," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 523-547, May.
    4. Thierry Demals & Alexandra Hyard, 2015. "Forbonnais, the two balances and the Économistes," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 445-472, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Balance of men; balance of power; balance of trade; Gournay; mercantile system; science of commerce; school of thought.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • B11 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Preclassical (Ancient, Medieval, Mercantilist, Physiocratic)
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration
    • F54 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Colonialism; Imperialism; Postcolonialism
    • O24 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Trade Policy; Factor Movement; Foreign Exchange Policy

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