早稲田大学博士(経済学)早大学位記番号:新8322doctoral thesi

104072

Yamamoto, Eiko

山本, 英子

Waseda University Repository

Graslin1870 100Jean-Joseph-Louis Graslin,1727-90 GraslinB. C. 30018175017703175817672504100vs.31223 4 534618183 5 6358 1 21-48 201618BULLETIN 30 43-58 20165 1767BULLETIN 31 29-40 2019661 1 1-20 2019[Abstract]This study focuses on the subjective theory of value, which French Jean-Joseph-LouisGraslin (1727-90) treated 100 years earlier than the marginal revolution period of the1870s and examines the points of his economic thought.From the Aristotle era, subjective issues such as desire, utility, and scarcity wererecognized as the concept of value, then, in the second half of the 18th century, the clearassertion emerged. In the history of economic thought, Galiani, Turgot and Condillachave been considered to be the forerunners of the subjective theory of value. However,Graslin showed more pioneering concept of the theory than them.At that time, Physiocracy was prevalent in France. Physiocrats metaphysicallyexplained the idea of agriculture-oriented system based on Quesnay Tableauéconomique (1758), regarded only agriculture as and proposed a landsingle tax plan that taxed only net product from land.Against this, Graslin criticized Physiocracy and their land single tax plan, presentinga progressive consumption tax plan as an alternative and the subjective theory of valueas the logical ground in his analytical essay on wealth and tax (1767).Graslin s progressive consumption tax protects the lives of poor people withouttaxing their necessities and sets higher tax rates in order from convenience goods toluxury. In this tax system, consumption capacity is regarded as tax-bearing capacityinstead of accurately capturing each income or financial power that was impossible atthat time.From a practical point of view, Graslin, tax collector general of the local city Nantes,realized that the wealthy middle class and the number of workers who earned surpluswere able to purchase and consume anything according to their financial power. Theprogressive consumption tax Graslin proposed would make it possible to impose a taxon these people and on privileged classes that had been exempted from taxes by thearbitrary tax system so far, and to increase tax revenue for the urgent fiscalreconstruction. In Graslin s proposal, is shown as wellas the mechanis .With respect to value theory, Graslin expressed that any object or service that isdesired has a subjective value based on utility, desire and scarcity, and criticizedphysiocratic logic of making agricu Moreover, Graslin clarifiedthe distinction between absolute value and exchange value, the distinction between totalvalue and partial value, and the inverse relationship between the quantity and value ofgoods. These points show that he anticipated the perception of the 1870s 100 yearsearlier.Since Graslin s concept has no affinity with Physiocracy that leads to the classicaleconomics, there was inevitably a fierce dispute overbetween Graslin and physiocrats. After that, Graslin was completely ignored by thestrategy of physiocrats. Thus, Graslin s contribution was driven to the corner, then hiscontemporaries Galiani, Turgot and Condillac have been regarded as pioneers ofsubjective theory of value.However, while Galiani, Turgot and Condillac argued the subjective value, theyexplicitly maintained the cost or the labor theory of value. Galiani stated that the valueof the product is determined by the number of workers, the number of days and hoursdiffe depending on how much the job was required in society.Turgot clarified the cost theory of value in accordance with Physiocracy. And, Condillacgave an example of water and explained that water has value equivalent with the cost oftransport labor.In contrast, Graslin treated labor itself as an object with relative value based on utility,desire and scarcity. The value of water is not based on the number of workers or theirworking hours and is not determined by any cost of transport. Graslin built a system ofsubjective value that his contemporaries did not present.At the same time, Graslin also submitted a paper to Russia under the rule of EmpressEkaterina, showing a theory of land ownership that encouraged motivated labor byabolishing the serfdom. He presented a trial model of division of labor and exchangeand explained the significance of economic development in terms of Frenchenlightenment, commercial society and production efficiency.In this way, Graslin's economic thought includes at least the points of the subjectivetheory of value, tax theory, land ownership theory, and division of labor theory. Inaddition, he had the practical skill to achieve large-scale regional and urbandevelopment.From the above, this paper makes the following three claims. First, Graslin's theoryof landownership, which was perceived as a retreat to a primitive community inprevious research, was aimed at a developing commercial society (Chapter 2).Secondly, his system of subjective theory of value was based on the idea of 100 yearslater, especially close to Menger's subjective theory of value, and Graslin's pioneeringcontribution had surpassed Galiani, Turgot and Condillac (Chapter 3, Chapter 4,Chapter 5).Thirdly, based on his theory of progressive consumption tax, which increases the taxrate according to luxury, Graslin proposed an effective tax system plan for the fiscalreconstruction, showing that Smith later presented and themeans called today. (Chapter 6).Examining how Graslin tried to overcome the economic problems at the time willgive us significant suggestions as one of the cases of trying to confront our problems,even if strict theory or accurate data is not shown. Moreover, it will remind us thatmodern quests in economics also exist in the course of history with the struggle in the18th century.

Graslinの経済思想 -主観価値理論の先駆者-

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Graslinの経済思想 -主観価値理論の先駆者-

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