Physiocracy. Marquis de MIRABEAU - QUESNAY. Élémens de la philosophie rurale.

12mo. 170x100 mm. Contemporary binding in full marbled leather, rich gilt rules and title on the spine. Pages [6], CVI, 339, [2, Errata]. A folded engraved plate. Occasional foxing, repaired tears in the engraved plate, overall fresh copy with wide margins.

Rare first edition. Synthetic version of the most important theoretical work of the physiocratic school, 'De la Philosophie rurale', written jointly by Quesnay and Mirabeau. François Quesnay et la physiocratie: «produit d'une intime collaboration entre Mirabeau et Quesnay, il s'agit en effet de l'explication générale de l'Économie à partir de l'idée centrale de la circulation des dépenses telle qu'elle est schématisée par Quesnay dans son Tableau économique » Mirabeau considered the 'Elemens' essential for the diffusion and understanding of the theories of the physiocratic movement. For this reason he sets out the elementary principles of economic science in an important preliminary speech, in order to combat the theory exposed by Linguet in his work Théorie des lois civilis, published shortly before. On the engraved plate is a prospectus illustrating Quesnay's 'Tableau Economique'.