Echoes of Liberty: Mining the Intellectual Legacy and Modern Relevance of the French Liberal School in Political Economy

Abstract

This dissertation examines the French Liberal School (FLS) as an independent tradition within economic thought, distinct from the British Classical School. It challenges prevailing historiographical interpretations by providing new empirical evidence through the use of text-mining techniques and archival research. The analysis begins with a computational study of the Journal des Économistes, identifying core themes and conceptual distinctions central to the FLS. These findings are then traced through their pedagogical transmission in 19thcentury Andean America, with particular attention to university curricula, key instructors, and institutional development.

The second dimension explores the influence of the FLS on political and economic reforms in Andean America. This dimension explores the rol of the FLS in shaping economic thought in the region. The case of Antonio Flores is used to assess the intellectual legacy of FLS principles -such as free banking, entrepreneurship, and the coordination of services- in shaping early monetary and financial legislation. A third component connects these historical debates to present-day discussions on monetary regimes in dollarized economies. The analysis posits that free banking, as defended by Courcelle-Seneuil and Flores, provides a historically grounded yet adaptable framework for addressing the liquidity constraints of economies that lack monetary sovereignty.

Through its threefold analytical approach, (conceptual mapping, historical transmission, and contemporary relevance) the dissertation demonstrates that the FLS constituted an original and coherent school of thought with enduring influence. This research contributes to the intellectual history of economics and offers a novel perspective on policy debates in Latin American monetary systems.