Ami des hommes, ou Traité de la population

work by Mirabeau

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June 17, 2026

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Ami des hommes, ou Traité de la population (1756–58), meaning "The Friend of Man, or Treatise on Population," is a significant work by Victor Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau. This book is considered a precursor to the Physiocratic school of economic thought.1

In this treatise, Mirabeau emphasized the primary importance of agriculture as the source of wealth, drawing heavily on the ideas of Richard Cantillon. He advocated for economic reforms in France, criticizing the centralized governmental system and proposing a shift towards direct taxation rather than relying on tax farmers. The work also touches upon population theories, a subject that has been theorized about for millennia and played a role in various economic and social thought systems, including mercantilism and classical economics.12

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Victor Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau
In his popular Ami des hommes, ou Traité de la population (1756–58; “The Friend of Man, or Treatise on Population”), Mirabeau borrowed heavily from the ideas of Richard Cantillon, an earlier 18th-century British writer, in stressing the primacy of agriculture over commerce as a source of wealth. Mirabeau’s…
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In his popular Ami des hommes, ou Traité de la population (1756–58; “The Friend of Man, or Treatise on Population”), Mirabeau borrowed heavily from the ideas of Richard Cantillon, an earlier 18th-century British writer, in stressing the primacy of agriculture over commerce as a source of wealth. Mirabeau’s…
Read More