Antoine de Montchrestien

Antoine de Montchrestien (or Montchrétien) (c. 1575 - 7 or 8 October 1621) was a French soldier, dramatist, adventurer and economist.

Montchrestien was born in Falaise, Normandy. Son of an apothecary named Mauchrestien and orphan at a young age, Montchrestien came under the protection of François Thésart, baron de Tournebu and des Essarts, and became the valet of Thésart's children (allowing him to participate in their studies); he would later (1618) marry Thésart's daughter Suzanne. Later in his life he would also be favored by Henri II de Bourbon, prince de Condé.

Montchrestien initially sought a literary career (inspired by François de Malherbe): in 1595 he published his first tragedy, Sophonisbe or La Carthaginoise. In 1601, he published five more plays: the tragedies L'Ecossaise (on Mary Stuart), Les Lacènes, David ou l'Adultère, Aman, and the pastoral La Bergerie. In 1604, he added his tragedy Hector (which may not have been performed).

Montchrestien was involved in several duels (illegal in France from 1602 on); in 1603 he was left near dead; in 1604 or 1605 he killed his opponent and was forced to flee to England temporarily to avoid royal prosecution, but most likely through the influence of James I, to whom he dedicated his tragedy, L'Ecossaise, he was allowed to return to France, and he established himself at Auxonne-sur-Loire, where he set up a steel foundry.

In 1615 he published Traicté de l'économie politique, based chiefly on the works of Jean Bodin. In the history of economic thought, it is the first use of 'political economy' in the title of a work claiming to be a treatise. It challenged Aristotle's position on the independence of politics from other social life, including economic activities. It also developed some major elements of subsequent Mercantilist thought, such as the value of productive labor use and wealth acquisition in promoting political stability. From around this time, Montchrestien was favored with several official positions (including governor of Châtillon-sur-Loire in 1617) which were financially advantageous, and he took the title "baron" and married.

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