ABSTRACT
This chapter stresses on how much the Physiocratic approach to political economy set up a general view of society, in which a theory of knowledge, a theory of agency and a theory of the legislator are bound together. It begins with a brief explanation of what is meant by Philosophie economique. The chapter examines Francois Quesnay's writings in order to demonstrate that they contain the first two constitutive elements of Philosophie economique: a sensualistic theory of knowledge and an emphasis on interested behaviour. It puts a special emphasis on his concept of the legislator in considering, first, the connection between 'economic government' and the administration in the case of the reform of the tax system and, second, the issue of free trade. The philosophical and political dimensions of Quesnay's writings, together with many writings of the Physiocrats, provide all the elements required to include Physiocracy within the domain of Philosophie economique.
