View source for Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy: Being an Essay on the Science of Domestic Policy in Free Nations''}}
===by Sir James Steuart===
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|shorttitle=An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy
|vol=volume two
|author=[[:Category:James Steuart|Sir James Steuart]]
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|year=1767
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}}Sir [[wikipedia:James Steuart (economist)|James Steuart]] (1713 &ndash; 1780) was a noted Scottish economist who made exceptional contributions to economic theory. Steuart was considered a pioneer of early economics, and was the first author to use the term "political economy" in the title of a book.<ref>Andrew S. Skinner, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com.roxy.wm.edu/view/article/7478 Steuart, Sir James, of Coltness and Westshield, third baronet (1713–1780)]" in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', accessed September 26, 2013.</ref> In ''An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Economy'' he explains the term as: 
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<blockquote>[Just as] economy in general [is] the art of providing for all the wants of a family, [so the science of political economy] seeks to secure a certain fund of subsistence for all the inhabitants, to obviate every circumstance which may render it precarious; to provide everything necessary for supplying the wants of the society, and to employ the inhabitants ... in such manner as naturally to create reciprocal relations and dependencies between them, so as to supply one another with reciprocal wants.<ref>Peter Groenwegen, "'political economy' and 'economics'," in ''The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics'' (New York: Stockton Press,1998), 3:905, quoting James Steuart, ''An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy: Being An Essay on the Science of Domestic Policy in Free Nations'' (London: Printed for A. Millar and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1767), 1:15, 17.</ref>
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Steuart wrote from the point of view of a moderate [[wikipedia:Mercantilism mercantilist|mercantilist]]. At the time it was published, ''An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Economy'' was considered to be the most complete and systematic survey of political economy ever written in England. Some even considered it to be one of the first full-fledged economics treatises to appear anywhere.<ref>Skinner, "Steuart, Sir James."</ref>

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Ordered by Wythe from John Norton & Sons in a letter dated May 15, 1768, "a treatise concerning money-matters, (I think the title is "''Of civil oeconomy''" written by sir James Stewart ...." Records indicate the order was fulfilled.<ref>Frances Norton Mason, ed., ''John Norton & Sons, Merchants of London and Virginia: Being the Papers from their Counting House for the Years 1750 to 1795'' (Richmond, Virginia: Dietz Press, 1937), 51-52. The letter is endorsed "Virginia 15<sup>th</sup> May 1768 / George Wythe / Rec'd  ye 8th July / Goods entd. pa: 452 / Ansd. the August 1768 /pr. Woodford."</ref> All four of the Wythe Collection sources (Goodwin's pamphlet<ref>Mary R. M. Goodwin, [https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports\RR0216.xml ''The George Wythe House: Its Furniture and Furnishings''] (Williamsburg, Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library, 1958), LIII.</ref>, [[Dean Bibliography|Dean's Memo]]<ref>[[Dean Bibliography|Memorandum from Barbara C. Dean]], Colonial Williamsburg Found., to Mrs. Stiverson, Colonial Williamsburg Found. (June 16, 1975), 8 (on file at Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary).</ref>, Brown's Bibliography<ref>Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433.</ref> and [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s.v. "[http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe Member: George Wythe]," accessed on March 4, 2014.</ref> on LibraryThing) list the first (1767) edition as the one owned by Wythe. The title is not listed in Jefferson's [[Jefferson Inventory|inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]]. The Wolf Law Library purchased a copy of the first edition.

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary tree calf, rebacked, preserving original gilt spines. Front pastedown includes the armorial bookplate of Folkestone with the Latin motto "Patria cara, carior Libertas" (My country is dear, but liberty is dearer.) Purchased from Donald A. Heald Rare Books.

Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/albums/72157637448709496 available on Flickr.] View the record for this book in [https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991017618189703196 William & Mary's online catalog.]

===Full text===
*[http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/SteuartInquiryIntoThePrinciplesOfPoliticalOeconomy1767Vol1.pdf Volume I] (36MB PDF)
*[http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/SteuartInquiryIntoThePrinciplesOfPoliticalOeconomy1767Vol2.pdf Volume II] (37MB PDF)

==See also==
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
Read volume one of this book in [http://books.google.com/books?id=FD9PAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books.]<br />
Read volume two of this book in [http://books.google.com/books?id=d-tCAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover Google Books.]

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[[Category:Economics and Finance]]
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:James Steuart]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:English]]
[[Category:London]]
[[Category:Quartos]]