1792 – Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith | French Revolution Edition – 5 volumes

This is a 1792 edition of this important ‘revolutionary’ translation of Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, edited by the poet and enlightened political writer Jean-Antoine Roucher (1745-1794), who was guillotined by Robespierre. As is very well established, “the volume containing Condorcet’s notes was probably never published” [Goldsmith 14106].

Adam Smith’s work is the first major expression of organized study of social wealth. “‘The Wealth of Nations’ is not a system, but as a provisional analysis it is completely convincing. The certainty of its criticism and its grasp of human nature have made it the first and greatest classic of modern economic thought.” (PMM 221).

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Recherches sur la Nature et les Causes de la Richesse des Nations
• Author(s): Adam Smith
• Contributor(s): Jean-Antoine Roucher (Translator)
• Publisher: A Neuchatel
• Edition: French edition, 1792.
• Binding: Full leather, gilt spine
• Format: (12mo), 5 volumes
• Size:  6.5 in x 4 in (17 cm x 10 cm)
• Collation: 5 volumes, each separately paged
• Illustrations:
• Contents Include:
  • Foundations of political economy
  • Analysis of labor and production
  • Discussions on trade and markets
• Reference(s): PMM 221; Goldsmith 14106

Condition:

Near Fine. Full leather bindings remain tight and secure with gilt retained on the spines. Pages are clean and free of tears or stains. Corners show minimal wear.

Why Collect This?

• Early French translation by Jean-Antoine Roucher

Item Number: #50300