Fiziokraták

Fiziokraták was an economic school of thought that emerged in France during the second half of the 18th century. The term "physiocracy" itself derives from Greek words meaning "rule of nature," reflecting the core belief that economic prosperity was dictated by natural laws. The most prominent figure associated with this school was François Quesnay, a physician to King Louis XV.

The central tenet of physiocratic thought was that agriculture was the sole source of wealth. They believed that only land could generate a surplus, or "produit net," beyond the costs of production. Other economic activities, such as manufacturing and commerce, were considered "sterile" because they merely transformed existing wealth or exchanged it, rather than creating new wealth.

Physiocrats advocated for laissez-faire policies, arguing that the government should interfere as little as possible in economic affairs. They believed that natural economic laws would operate most efficiently without government intervention. Their proposed economic reforms included the abolition of feudal dues and indirect taxes, and the implementation of a single direct tax on land rent.

Key figures in the physiocratic movement, besides Quesnay, included Anne Robert Jacques Turgot and Victor Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau. While their influence was relatively short-lived, their ideas on natural economic order and the importance of agriculture had a significant impact on later economic thinkers, including Adam Smith, who is often seen as synthesizing and extending some of their core concepts. The physiocratic movement represented an early attempt to develop a systematic economic theory.