Talk:Physiocrats

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[edit] Were the physiocrats part of the Enlightenment?

Or did they consider themselves separate from all that? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.68.72.37 (talk) 20:17, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

I didn't know anything about this theory (heck, I am an English major)and was surprised by the belief that this systematic approach resulted in the death of so many people...

I did not know about this peculiar strain of economics either, though it appears that important elements/assumptions of Quesnay's and Turgot's theories must have influenced classical economists like Smith and Ricardo. This article makes a nice segue to a study of Thomas Jefferson's apparently Physiocratic beliefs, their relationship to his later classical economic thinking (post-Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations), and their reflection in actual governmental policy during his terms as Virginia governor and President.Knab1969 13:25, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] reply to Knab1969

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 recommended the Physiocrats concept of a land tax as the "simplest and most fit resource" for financing the governments of the several States; see the Federalist Papers #36. In delegating the power to tax to the Central government they recognized that the effect of a land tax was the opposite of a tax on private goods and so was not a tax in the normal sense. They recommended a consumption (sales) tax for financing the Central government. The power of Eminent Domain was thus reserved to the States. Also see FP#17.

Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations in 1776 just in time to confuse the term Laissez Faire as conceived by the Physiocrats and thus the Laissez Faire economics of the American Revolution. I wonder if that was not intended by the British. Jefferson brought his friend du Pont to America to promote the concept.

DAB (talk) 18:20, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Non-french Physiocrats

Are there any? I'm thinking of creating 3 new wikipedia categories: Physiocrat, Georgist, and Land Value Tax Advocate, with the first two subcategories of the last (and of various other parent categories). Physiocrat would be the most straightforward and uncontroversial so I'll start there. If all Physiocrats are also French then I can make Physiocrat a subcategory of French Economist, otherwise I will have to leave each of the French Physiocrats in 2 categories. Pm67nz 03:54, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

On further investigation: obviously there is Richard Cantillon, but this page and his article implies that he predates the Physiocrats and so isn't quite one of them. OTOH the French equivalent of this page also lists Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, so I've accepted that not all Physiocrats are French. Pm67nz 05:39, 13 November 2007 (UTC)