Francis Wayland, Elements of Political Economy, 1858

"The Elements of Political Economy" by Francis Wayland, published by Gould and Lincoln, Boston, 1858. 'Thirty-Sixth Thousand', copyright 1837 by the author.

Hard boards, original embossed cloth, blind embossed decorations on both boards, gold lettering on spine, [shelf wear and some soiling: see photos]; former owner name on the front endpaper and title page; 5" x 8"; 406 pages, tight very good binding, a little soiling and foxing, a few page corner folds, very good condition.

Wayland and the other clerical economists of the late 18th-19th century approached the discipline of Political Economy from a moral perspective. They saw the science of political economy as laws that mankind must follow in the same way they obeyed the laws of the natural sciences. Those laws reflected human nature as created by God, which was originally good but had a tendency toward evil because of the rebellion in the Garden. Following God's laws meant prosperity for people and disobeying them caused poverty and suffering. Those laws called for individual responsibility, private property, free markets and minimal government intervention in the economy. Wayland thought of himself as a theologian first and then a political economist and presented laissez-faire as Christian economics.

Provenance:
From the library of G.F. Edward, Emory and Henry College, VA, his signatures are on the front endpaper and title page.

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