''The National Gain'' (
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
title: ''Den Nationnale Winsten'') is the main work of the
Swedish-Finnish scientist, philosopher and politician
Anders Chydenius
Anders Chydenius (; 26 February 1729 – 1 February 1803) was a Swedish-Finnish Lutheran priest and a member of the Swedish Riksdag, and is known as the leading classical liberal of Nordic history.
Born in Sotkamo, Finland (then part of Swed ...
, published in 1765. In this thesis Chydenius argues in favour of free export trade rights for the province of
Ostrobothnia and lays down the principles of
liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
and the free markets – for example, free trade and industry – eleven years before
Adam Smith in ''
The Wealth of Nations
''An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations'', generally referred to by its shortened title ''The Wealth of Nations'', is the '' magnum opus'' of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. First published in ...
'' (1776).
[Lars Magnusson, (2004). ]
The Tradition of Free Trade
', Routledge, p. 129
The book also includes a description of what Smith later dubbed the "
invisible hand
The invisible hand is a metaphor used by the British moral philosopher Adam Smith that describes the unintended greater social benefits and public good brought about by individuals acting in their own self-interests. Smith originally mention ...
". In the book, Chydenius attacks the
export subsidy
Export subsidy is a government policy to encourage export of goods and discourage sale of goods on the domestic market through direct payments, low-cost loans, tax relief for exporters, or government-financed international advertising. An expor ...
as an example of the harmful effects of government intervention on the domestic economy.
References
External links
''The National Gain'' in English translation
1765 books
Classical economics books
Books about liberalism
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