Jean-Baptiste Say

Jean-Baptiste Say
Born(1767-01-05)5 January 1767
Died15 November 1832(1832-11-15) (aged 65)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Academic career
FieldPolitical economy
School or
tradition
French Liberal School
InfluencesRichard Cantillon, Adam Smith, Pietro Verri
ContributionsSay's law, entrepreneurship

Jean-Baptiste Say (French: [ʒɑ̃batist sɛ]; 5 January 1767 – 15 November 1832) was a liberal French economist and businessman who argued in favor of competition, free trade and lifting restraints on business. He is best known for Say's law—also known as the law of markets—which he popularized, although scholars disagree as to whether it was Say who first articulated the theory.[1][2] Moreover, he was one of the first economists to study entrepreneurship and conceptualized entrepreneurs as organizers and leaders of the economy.[3] He was also closely involved in the development of the École spéciale de commerce et d'industrie (ESCP), historically the first business school to be established.

  1. ^ Thweatt, William O. (2000). "Early Formulators of Say's Law". In Wood, John Cunningham; Kates, Steven (eds.). Jean-Baptiste Say: Critical Assessments. Vol. 5. London: Routledge. pp. 78–93. ISBN 0415232406. However, Although Braudel notes a variety of different readings of Say's Law, they all agree around some formulation of whereby supply creates demand at least eventually if not immediately.
  2. ^ Braudel, Fernand (1979). The Wheels of Commerce: Civilisation and Capitalism 15th–18th Century. p. 181.
  3. ^ Koolman, G. (1971). "Say's Conception of the Role of the Entrepreneur". Economica. 38 (151): 269–286. doi:10.2307/2552843. JSTOR 2552843.