Jean-Baptiste Say (1767–1832)

Jean-Baptiste Say is almost unread today yet he is famous as the originator of Say's law which later economists, most especially Keynes in the General Theory, have paid so much attention to. Yet, this reputation, based as it is upon the discovery of the concept of the entrepreneur as autonomous from the capitalist as well as the law, is misplaced. Say's main importance lies as a disseminator of English classical political economy on the continent and in his attempts to keep alive an emphasis on utility and demand in contrast to the English over emphasis on cost and supply. Nevertheless, he is also of interest for the theoretical discussions which he sparked amongst historians of economic thought. This book is a collection of essays on the work of Say.