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Physiocrats and Laws of Population

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Physiocracy, Antiphysiocracy and Pfeiffer

Part of the book series: The European Heritage in Economics and the Social Sciences ((EHES,volume 10))

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Abstract

This essay deals not with the whole theory of Physiocrats. In the following, it only referred to the special aspect, which contribution physiocratic theory has brought forth to study rules and patterns of population and to what extend Physiocrats contributed to the development of population theory.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Armengaud, André (1971), p 129.

  2. 2.

    This model was introduced by Notestein (1945), which analyzed crude birth rates and crude death rates from the middle age to the mid of the twentieth century. It is a descriptive model and does not fulfill claims of scientific theory (see for example: Hummel (2000)).

  3. 3.

    Justus von Liebig (1803–1873) is considered to be the founder of agricultural chemistry. He was a professor at the Ludwigs University of Gießen from 1824 to 1852, which later was named Justus Liebig University. Johann August Schlettwein (the leading German Physiocrat) was a professor at the Ludwigs University of Gießen from 1777 to 1785 (Justus von Liebig was not a good pupil and records indicate that his teacher said to his parents: Your son will become nothing (in Hessian language: “aus dem Bub werd nix”)).

  4. 4.

    Süßmilch (1741/Faksimile 2001).

  5. 5.

    Süßmilch (1741/Faksimile 2001), §64.

  6. 6.

    Conring (1606–1681) was a professor of nature philosophy and besides other an academic for policy in Helmstedt (1650). He wrote in his book Thesaurus totius orbis quadripartibus (1675): “Pertinet ad cognitionem hominum ut sciamus eorum numerus civium sit magnus vel parvus,” quoted from Mols (1971), p 18.

  7. 7.

    Achenwall (1719–1772) was historian, lawyer, and professor at the University of Göttingen (Lower Saxonia).

  8. 8.

    Graunt (1620–1674) was a business man in London.

  9. 9.

    Süßmilch (1707–1767).

  10. 10.

    Malthus (1766–1834) was a professor of history and political economy since 1805.

  11. 11.

    Malthus (1798).

  12. 12.

    Ricardo (1772–1823).

  13. 13.

    A relatively unknown representative is Joseph Lang, born in Germany and Professor in Charkow (Russia). He published in 1811 a book “Grundlinien der politischen Arithmetik.”

  14. 14.

    Smith (1723–1790) met considerable physiocrats on a trip through France and Switzerland in the years 1764–1766.

  15. 15.

    An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

  16. 16.

    Quesnay (1694–1774), French physician and economist, was a private physician of Ludwig XV. and of Madame de Pompadour.

  17. 17.

    Uebe (1992).

  18. 18.

    Schlettwein (1731–1802) was a professor at the University of Basel in 1776 and professor of policy, science of cameralistics and science of finances at the University of Gießen from 1777 to 1785.

  19. 19.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 69.

  20. 20.

    Schlettwein (1779).

  21. 21.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) §§ 74, 75.

  22. 22.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) §§ 86.

  23. 23.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 224.

  24. 24.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 225.

  25. 25.

    See 18th Heilbronn Symposium, 16–18, 2005.

  26. 26.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 223, rightly counted 232.

  27. 27.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 234.

  28. 28.

    von Pfeiffer (1780), pp 98/99.

  29. 29.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 246.

  30. 30.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 241.

  31. 31.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 236.

  32. 32.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) § 240.

  33. 33.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) §§ 261, 262.

  34. 34.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) §§ 268, 280.

  35. 35.

    Schlettwein (1784/1980) §§ 225.

  36. 36.

    von Pfeiffer (1780), pp 23/24.

  37. 37.

    von Pfeiffer (1780), pp 22.

  38. 38.

    von Pfeiffer (1780), p 100.

  39. 39.

    Malthus (1798).

  40. 40.

    Blaich (1983), p 35.

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  1. Krupp Chair in Public Finance and Fiscal Sociology, Leitender Ministerialrat, University of Erfurt, Nordhäuser Str. 63, 99089, Erfurt, Germany

    Gerhard Scheuerer

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  1. Fak. Staatswissenschaften, Lehrst. Finanzwissenschaft/, Universität Erfurt, Nordhäuser Str. 63, Erfurt, 99089, Thüringen, Germany

    Jürgen Georg Backhaus

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Scheuerer, G. (2011). Physiocrats and Laws of Population. In: Backhaus, J. (eds) Physiocracy, Antiphysiocracy and Pfeiffer. The European Heritage in Economics and the Social Sciences, vol 10. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7497-6_7

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