This work investigates the intellectual origins of laissez-faire economic theory through the specific contributions and analytical framework of the 17th-century French economist Pierre de Boisguilbert. Gilbert Faccarello, a scholar of economic thought, examines how Boisguilbert challenged the prevailing mercantilist doctrines of his era. By analyzing the historical context of the French economy under Louis XIV, the author demonstrates how Boisguilbert’s focus on the circulation of wealth and the interdependence of markets laid the groundwork for later classical economic thought. The text argues that Boisguilbert’s work represents a critical shift toward understanding the economy as a self-regulating system.

Experts in the history of economic thought recognize this text as a rigorous academic examination of a pivotal, yet often overlooked, figure in pre-classical economics. Readers frequently note the scholarly density of the prose, which is intended for researchers and students of economic history.