286 POLITICAL SCIENCE 



In Economic Science, French contributions to economic 

 theory have been numerous, and from the outset have 

 exerted an important influence upon the development of 

 economic thought. The term "political economy" 

 seems to have been first used as a title for a general treatise 

 by Antoine DE MONTCHRETIEN in his volume "Traite 

 de Fficonomie Politique," published in 1615. His book 

 was a formal exposition of the principles of mercantilism, 

 which probably received a wider acceptation and applica- 

 tion as a State policy in France under Colbert than in any 

 other country. On account of the extremes to which 

 mercantilism was carried and the evils that arose there- 

 from, the first vigorous protest against mercantilism 

 was voiced in France. BOISGUILLEBERT, Marshal 

 VAUBAN, and FENELON contributed to that protest. 

 However, it was not until about the middle of the 

 eighteenth century that reaction against mercantilism 

 became an open protest against the economic policies of 

 the State. The leaders in this movement were the 

 founders of the Physiocratic School of economic thought. 



From the viewpoint of economic theory, Francois 

 QUESNAY was the chief figure in this school. His most 

 imporant writings were an article "Fermiers," one on 

 "Grains," "Tableau economique," "Maximes generates 

 du gouvernement economique d'un royaume agricole," 

 and "Droit Naturel." Among other representatives of 

 this school the names of GOURNAY and TURGOT should 

 be mentioned. Turgot, while keeping himself formally 

 distinct from the physiocrats, was in essential agreement 

 with their main doctrines, and as statesman gave prac- 

 tical application to their theories. In fact, the achieve- 

 ments of the French Revolution were to a large extent 

 the realization of the reforms advocated by the physio- 

 cratic school. In addition, their contributions had an 

 immediate and a profound influence on the economic 



