Richard Cantillon

Richard Cantillon (born between 1680 and 1690; traditionally reported to have died in 1734) was an Irish-born banker and writer on political economy. His Essai sur la nature du commerce en général, published after his death in 1755, examined production, exchange, money and the organisation of economic activity.

Banking

Cantillon came from County Kerry and established himself in Parisian banking. He took over a family banking business in 1716. He profited during the financial speculation surrounding the Mississippi scheme and the South Sea Bubble, but disputes with clients led to prolonged litigation. His financial career involved travel and connections across several European centres.

Economic writing

The Essai connected questions of prices and incomes with population, trade and the circulation of money. Cantillon’s account gave a significant role to entrepreneurs and markets. The text was composed around 1728–1730 and appeared anonymously in French in 1755. Its publication history requires care: although the edition named London and described an English original, the Dictionary of Irish Biography regards a Paris publication of a French text as more probable.

Reception

The book’s later reputation was much greater than Cantillon’s early public visibility as an author. William Stanley Jevons helped revive attention to it in 1881, and Henry Higgs published an English translation in 1931. His early life and death remain uncertain, unlike the documented publication and later reception of the book.

Attribution

Prepared with reference to the structure and linked topics of the English Wikipedia article, revision 1379716404. Rewritten and checked against the sources cited above; changes have been made. Wikipedia contributors’ material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.