Money and Banking in Jean-Baptiste SayÆs Economic Thought

The contribution of Jean-Baptiste Say (1767-1832) to the founding of economic science has long since been acknowledged. He is one of the most frequently quoted authors in works on the history of economic thought, and several contemporary scholars still claim to be his followers. Monetary questions hold a prime position in his work, and his ideas had a strong impact on monetary practices and on the operation of banks, both inside and outside France. To fully comprehend Say#xE2;#xAC;"s monetary ideas, it is necessary to refer directly to his writings, but many of his works have never previously been translated into English. Here, Gilles Jacoud makes available for the first time in English Say#xE2;#xAC;"s key texts on monetary questions, including hitherto unpublished manuscripts. These texts concern not only the nature of money, the foundations of its value, the use of precious metals for monetary purposes but also paper money and banks. Comprehension of these texts will be facilitated by an introduction designed to place them in their context, by a chronological table giving the main events of Jean-Baptiste Say#xE2;#xAC;"s life and editorial activity in parallel with the main political, economic and monetary events of the time, and a chapter of biographical notes of all the persons mentioned by Say in these texts.