The ambiguous birth of political economy : Montchrestien vs. Cantillon

Jérôme Maucourant (1)

1 TRIANGLE - Triangle : action, discours, pensée politique et économique

The political constitution of markets is promoted by Montchrestien whereas, on the contrary, the absolute autonomy of the sphere of exchange is favoured by Cantillon. Yet, this article seeks to demonstrate that both authors participate in the emergence of a modern way of thinking about the economy. In both cases, we find the idea that the sphere of exchange acquires an autonomy which requires the application of a specific science. In the case of Cantillon, this autonomy is absolute and anticipates the foundations of contemporary economics. On the other hand, Montchrestien's work forms part of a "political economy". This article also aims to show that the mercantilism attributed to Montchrestien in no way implies that, in principle, the economy is a simple transposition of a war-like model. Similarly, it will seek to show that Cantillon, a supposed mercantilist, does not suggest that state intervention is futile, even if he adheres to the fundamental principles of economic liberalism. This modernity has two sides, represented by these texts which present economics as a science since its very beginnings.

Mots clés: Sovereignty; mercantilism; Foucault; Cantillon; Montchrestien; money

Domaines: Economies et finances

Jérôme Maucourant. The ambiguous birth of political economy : Montchrestien vs. Cantillon. 2011. ⟨halshs-01016945⟩