China in Quesnay's doctrine: Interpretations, translations, cultural aspects

O. Borokh
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O. Borokh: Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Journal of the New Economic Association, 2021, vol. 50, issue 2, 137-162

Abstract: The paper analyzes the Chinese influences on the doctrine of the French physiocrat Francois Quesnay from the perspective of the cultural specifics of the perception of economic and political ideas. The approaches of Chinese researchers were impacted by Marxist methodology, sinocentric views and fragmentary use of primary sources. The application of the Marxist concept of socio-economic formations supported the arguments that feudal Confucianism could not influence the views of physiocrats, which reflected the emergence of capitalist relations. In the 18th century opponents of the physiocrats used the comparison of the Tableau Economique with the scheme of the Chinese Book of Changes to disqualify Quesnay's doctrine. For Chinese researchers this comparison became a confirmation of the value of the Tableau Economique and an incentive to search for the ideas of circular flows and equilibrium in both tables. The study of Despotism in China content confirms its connection with the actual historical China. It is concluded that Chinese scholars seek to interpret the historical precedent of the influence of Confucian thought on Quesnay's doctrine in the context of plans to increase the global clout of China's social sciences.

Keywords: French Physiocrats; Chinese influence; concept of social formation; "Despotism in China"; "Tableau Economique"; Quesnay (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 B11 B24 B31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nea:journl:y:2021:i:50:p:137-162

DOI: 10.31737/2221-2264-2021-50-2-7

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