Optimists in the Andes. The impact of the French liberal school on economic education in 19th century Andean America

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of the French liberal school on the formation of the Andean republics, namely Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Chile. The study focuses on the teaching of political economy during the last two-thirds of the 19th century. By examining the chairs of political economy and conducting a text mining analysis of their textbooks, it is concluded that the French liberal school had a greater influence compared to its British counterpart. However, the reception varied widely in its temporal extent and in the mechanisms of dissemination.