Studies in Social Economics

Léon Walras (1834–1910) is one of the four or five most important economic theorists in the history of the science. The present book is a complete English translation of the second edition (1936) of his Études d’économie sociale (1896), in which he applies economic theory to real problems, presents the essence of his normative economic ideas, and reveals himself to have also been a great thinker on human nature, justice, mores, and the structure of scientific inquiry and knowledge.

The book will be of interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the area of the history of economics as well as those interested in Walrasian topics, such as social justice, taxation, intellectual property, and land ownership.

“The study of Léon Walras's contributions to economics has long been handicapped by the absence of English-language translations of Walras's major works. With the publication of this new translation of his Études d'économie sociale, we now have in English all three of Walras's major works and so have a far more complete picture of the depth and breadth of Walras's contributions. All students of the history of economics owe a debt of gratitude to Professors van Daal and Walker for their painstaking work in bringing this volume to publication.”

Steven G. Medema, Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado at Denver

"Studies in Social Economics, the English translation of Walras’ Études d’économie sociale, brings the normative element of Walras’ social theory to bear on his economics. The emerging picture is of extreme interest in the context of the standard presentation of equilibrium theory, particularly with respect to Walras’ deep concern with the question of social justice. This book casts serious doubts on whether it makes sense to divorce descriptive from normative economics. There is a lot to be learend from it, and it relates also to the current financial and economic crisis."

Valeria Mosini, London School of Economics