Essay on the Nature of Trade in General
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
Essay on the Nature of Trade in General
| Author | Richard Cantillon |
|---|---|
| Published | 1755 |
| Recommended | Once |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Cantillon’s essay, written around 1730 and published in 1755, is the first systematic treatment of an economy as a circular flow — prices, the entrepreneur who buys at a certain cost to sell at an uncertain price, and new money entering at particular points rather than uniformly (the Cantillon effect). |
Where I heard about it
- Brendan McCord — opens the Foundations of Modern Economics section of his Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List, March 2026, with his own note: “Gene Epstein, former economics editor at Barron’s and a staunch Austrian, always insists that modern economics starts with this book rather than Adam Smith. A key strength of Cantillon’s is that he provides the first analysis of entrepreneurship.” Full transcription: The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List.
About this edition
Published posthumously as Essai sur la nature du commerce en général.
Connections
- The Philosopher-Entrepreneur Reading List — the curriculum this card came from.
- Economics — the discipline this essay is a candidate origin point for.
- Capitalism — the circular-flow account of a commercial economy.
- Incentives — the entrepreneur bearing uncertainty for a residual is Cantillon’s contribution.
What links here
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.