French liberal economists and the improvement of workers' living conditions (1870-1914)[Les économistes libéraux français et l'amélioration du sort des ouvriers (1870-1914)]

This article examines how French liberal economists addressed the issue of improving workers' conditions between 1870 and 1914. Drawing on contributions from authors who participated in the debates of the Société d'économie politique and published in the Journal des économistes, it highlights the diversity of positions within the liberal camp, thereby challenging the idea of a homogeneous liberal doctrine. While some, such as Guyot and Passy, rejected any intervention, a first group of economists, represented by Molinari and Royer, sought to improve the functioning of the labour market by enhancing information flows and worker mobility. A second group, illustrated by Colson and Cheysson, accepted limited state intervention, particularly in the form of assistance to the poorest in exchange for work, and the implementation of social insurance system.