Francisco Craywinkel, plagiario de Richard Cantillon (1760-1763)

Abstract

During the second half of the 18th century Spain witnessed the gradual emergence of Political Economy. Recent research has demonstrated the importance therein of French Political Economy. The pre-eminence of French Political Economy derived not only from the fact that French writers were the best known in Spanish Enlightenment circles, but also from the fact that they were instrumental in bringing to Spain works from other than French sources. One such was Richard Cantillon’s Essai sur la nature du commerce en général (Essay on the Nature of Trade in General), considered one of the masterpieces of 17th-century European economics. Nevertheless, little is known of its international circulation following its publication in France in 1755 on the initiative of Vicent de Gournay. This paper traces its introduction in Spain in 1760-1763 by the hand of Francisco Craywinkel. Craywinkel was most probably the first writer to use Cantillon’s ideas in Spain. The main object of his writings was to persuade the political elites in the early years of the reign of Carlos III of the desirability of undertaking major reforms in the grain trade and the colonial system.

Keywords

• Atlantic trade
• grain trade
• international circulation of ideas on economics
• Richard Cantillon
• Spanish Economic Enlightenment