De l'origine et des progrès d'une science nouvelle; [bound with:] Le Mercier de la Rivière: L'ordre naturel et essentiel des sociétés politiques.

DUPONT DE NEMOURS, Pierre Samuel.

Published by London & Paris: Desaint, 1768 [and London: John Nourse & Desaint, Paris, 1767]

About this Item

First edition of undoubtedly one of the scarcest of Dupont's works, and probably one of the most successful publications promoting physiocracy. A modern English translation, only published in 2003 by Liberty Fund, was prepared by Henry H. Clark, who describes Dupont's work as "arguably the clearest, most concise introduction to the full range of Physiocratic thinking on the nature of an enlightened, interdependent, exchange-based economy and its moral and political implications." The work is based on Le Mercier de la Rivière's L'ordre naturel et essentiel des sociétés politiques (with which it is here bound), which Adam Smith referred to as "the most distinct and best connected account of this doctrine". Schumpeter, in his discussion on the physiocrats, calls Dupont "by far the ablest of the lot" (p. 226) and Palgrave notes; "If Quesnay was the father of physiocracy, Dupont was its godfather, for he gave it its name by the publication of his Physiocratie. a collection of Quesnay's articles, which the editor introduced by a Discours." Goldsmiths' 10390; Higgs 4260; INED 1617; Kress 6547; Mattioli 1074; Schelle 11; Sraffa 1458. Two works bound in 2 vols, duodecimo (163 x 92 mm). Contemporary mottled calf, spines decorated gilt in compartments, red morocco labels, red edges. Housed in a brown cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. De l'origine without the terminal errata leaf (as called for by Sraffa). Engraved bookplate of Mr. Brossays Duperray to front pastedowns. A superb copy. Seller Inventory # 93587

Bibliographic Details

Title: De l'origine et des progrès d'une science ...

Publisher: London & Paris: Desaint, 1768 [and London: John Nourse & Desaint, Paris, 1767]

Edition: 1st Edition