Conversations on Political Economy
In Which the Elements of that Science are Familiarly Explained

Published at a pivotal moment in British history, Marcet's volume won her the well-deserved epithet of 'instructress of a generation'.

Jane Haldimand Marcet (Author)

9781108019101, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 August 2010

480 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2.7 cm, 0.61 kg

Published at a pivotal moment in the economic development of Britain, Conversations on Political Economy (1816) influenced a generation of economists, politicians and intellectuals. Employing her trademark format of dialogues between Mrs. Bryan and her pupil Caroline, Marcet introduces readers to theories surrounding property, population, and the 'condition of the poor'. Despite a target audience of young women, there is little evidence of feminine sentimentality, nor does the author's commitment to female education prevent her from propounding challenging, often controversial arguments; an approach which won her admiration. As one of her avid readers, Anne Romilly wrote, 'those, who like me know very little … are delighted with the knowledge they have acquired'. In fact, the first edition was so well received that a second was called for before the author had time to make corrections. Marcet had become, as one of her obituarists later put it, the 'instructress of a generation'.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Introduction continued
3. On property
4. Property continued
5. On the division of labour
6. On capital
7. Capital continued
8. On wages and population
9. Wages and population continued
10. On the condition of the poor
11. On revenue
12. Revenue from landed property
13. Revenue from the cultivation of land
14. Revenue from capital lent
15. On value and price
16. On money
17. Money continued
18. Commerce
19. On foreign trade
20. Foreign trade continued
21. On expenditure.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]