Montesquieu as an economist (In French)

The purpose of this paper is to reappraise Montesquieu’s thinkings in economy. To Joseph Schumpeter his economic is insignificant - without originality force, or scholarship. According to John-Maynard Keynes, Montesquieu was the real French equivalent of Adam Smith, the greatest of French economists, head and shoulders above the physiocrats in penetration, clear-headedness and good sense. This controversy invites us to undertake an investigation of Montesquieu’s views in economy. This article explores thoughtfully his works and proposes an application of heuristic reading systematic and very progressive too. About all of the subjects (interest rate, money, luxury expenditures, state’s position in society, taxation, public debt, international trade) we try to place Montesquieu in the opposition between interventionism and laisser-faire. Through this analysis J-B. Say, J-M Keynes, J. Schumpeter opinions on Montesquieu become clear especially on interest rate issue. Finally, we conclude that Montesquieu is one of the few French economists to propose a monetary analysis of the interest rate, but his liberal doctrinal leads him to reject all the form of interventionism particularly in the monetary sphere. Definitely, Montesquieu’s just one link of the liberal chain in Europe.