Le Trosne’s Discours sur l’état actuel de la magistrature and Quesnay’s reaction to it

Abstract

Le Trosne’s Discours sur l’état actuel de la magistrature was published in 1764. It is the first physiocratic book of Le Trosne, a major physiocrat. This paper records the reaction of Quesnay, the founder of Physiocracy, to this work: I discovered the text of the far-reaching letter sent by Quesnay to Le Trosne, which is the only extant trace of any written exchange between them. It provides a sketch of Quesnay’s fundamental beliefs, announces some of his most important later works and outlines ideas later developed by Lemercier de la Rivière. It also displays Quesnay’s religious streak.