Absolutism In The 18th Century Essay

The absolutism intensified even more into the eighteenth century. Under the actions of the Seven Years War and the War of the Spanish Succession France fell in deep trouble of financial problems, especially in agriculture. The first mercantile policy was proposed in seventeenth century by Jean Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), who was the finance minister under Louis XIV. In order to increase the financial income and strengthen the authority of the King, he used comprehensive policies, such as the prohibition of the internal grain transport. The mechanists benefit from the policies, in the train of the hinder to the agriculture. As a result of that, the shortage and surplus of grain happened at the same time in the country. Exemption from duty for the noble aggravate the taxation on the populace. That led directly to a vicious spiral-less investigation in agriculture decreased the productivity and …show more content…
The natural developed theory is opposite to the mercantilism. Vincent de Gournay (1712-1759) did a lot in the advertisement of the phrase laissez-faire, who was also the first one to use the term “bureaucracy”. Gournay does not have much written works, however had still great influence on French economic thoughts in 1750s. At beginning Gournay supports ideas from Richard Cantillon, the Irish economist. Pierre de Boisguilbert argued against the prohibition of resource flow from Colbert. The trend of anti-mercantilism came mainly from the first group organized economists, who were called The Physiocrats, or Les Économistes. The main force of Physiocracy are François Quesnay (1694-1774), Victor Riqueti and Marquis de Mirabeau (1715-1789). As they pointed out in their La Philosophie rurale, which could be regarded as textbook in Physiocratic economics, the policies from Colbert, the war and heavy taxation brought together the sluggishness of the agriculture production