Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3), Essay 2: Turgot

An essay traces Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot’s life and thought, from his education and early Sorbonne discourses through his administrative career in the Limousin and as Controller-General, examining his intellectual influences, criticisms of contemporary doctrines, and economic writings. It analyzes his Latin dissertations, assesses reforms on taxation, corvée, military service, and efforts to promote agriculture and industry (including the introduction of the potato), and discusses his private benevolence, unpopularity at court, dismissal, and retirement. The piece evaluates the strengths and limits of his ideas on progress, social causation, and the formation and distribution of wealth, balancing praise for ordered succession and enlightenment with critiques of one-sidedness and omissions.