The Friend of Man, or Treatise on Population
By Victor de Riqueti, Marquis de Mirabeau
A cornerstone of Enlightenment economic thought, The Friend of Man is the Marquis de Mirabeau’s sweeping five-volume manifesto on population, agriculture, commerce, governance, and social reform. Published between 1756 and 1761, this work marks Mirabeau’s full embrace of physiocracy—the doctrine that land and agriculture are the true sources of national wealth.
Mirabeau argues passionately that population growth is not a burden but a powerful engine of prosperity, provided it is supported by sound agricultural policy and social structure. He champions agriculture as the foundation of civilization, urges reforms to liberate rural economies, and decries the inefficiencies and injustices of France’s mercantilist and tax-farming systems.
The treatise unfolds across five books:
• Book I lays the groundwork, connecting population levels directly to the availability of agricultural subsistence.
• Book II–III explore the mechanics of commerce, justice, foreign trade, and naval power, blending economic theory with sharp social critique.
• Book IV proposes the decentralization of royal power through the revival of provincial assemblies, offering a vision for more responsive local governance.
• Book V tackles taxation and fiscal reform, culminating in bold proposals that would ultimately land Mirabeau in prison and exile.
Not merely theoretical, this work ignited both admiration and scandal. Its denunciation of tax farmers and call for social justice made it one of the most provocative economic treatises of the 18th century—earning Mirabeau brief imprisonment and widespread censorship upon its release.
What sets The Friend of Man apart is not just its radical call for economic liberalization and rural empowerment, but its blend of practical reform, philosophical depth, and political daring. It stands as an early vision of modern political economy—an Enlightenment precursor to later debates on statecraft, economic freedom, and the moral role of governments.
An uncommon edition once held in the Bibliothèque Sulpicienne, the library of the Seminary of St. Sulpitius, this book is also a touchstone in the intellectual and ecclesiastical history of the 18th century.
The Friend of Man, or Treatise on Population
By Victor de Riqueti, Marquis de Mirabeau
A cornerstone of Enlightenment economic thought, The Friend of Man is the Marquis de Mirabeau’s sweeping five-volume manifesto on population, agriculture, commerce, governance, and social reform. Published between 1756 and 1761, this work marks Mirabeau’s full embrace of physiocracy—the doctrine that land and agriculture are the true sources of national wealth.
Mirabeau argues passionately that population growth is not a burden but a powerful engine of prosperity, provided it is supported by sound agricultural policy and social structure. He champions agriculture as the foundation of civilization, urges reforms to liberate rural economies, and decries the inefficiencies and injustices of France’s mercantilist and tax-farming systems.
The treatise unfolds across five books:
• Book I lays the groundwork, connecting population levels directly to the availability of agricultural subsistence.
• Book II–III explore the mechanics of commerce, justice, foreign trade, and naval power, blending economic theory with sharp social critique.
• Book IV proposes the decentralization of royal power through the revival of provincial assemblies, offering a vision for more responsive local governance.
• Book V tackles taxation and fiscal reform, culminating in bold proposals that would ultimately land Mirabeau in prison and exile.
Not merely theoretical, this work ignited both admiration and scandal. Its denunciation of tax farmers and call for social justice made it one of the most provocative economic treatises of the 18th century—earning Mirabeau brief imprisonment and widespread censorship upon its release.
What sets The Friend of Man apart is not just its radical call for economic liberalization and rural empowerment, but its blend of practical reform, philosophical depth, and political daring. It stands as an early vision of modern political economy—an Enlightenment precursor to later debates on statecraft, economic freedom, and the moral role of governments.
An uncommon edition once held in the Bibliothèque Sulpicienne, the library of the Seminary of St. Sulpitius, this book is also a touchstone in the intellectual and ecclesiastical history of the 18th century.