Dialogos sobre el comercio de trigo
Title
Dialogos sobre el comercio de trigo
Description
Italian economic political theory played an important role during the age of crisis and throughout the enlightenment. Economic theorist Ferdinando Galiani focuses on Value and Interest theory as well as Economic Policy (Ferdinando). He specifically argued that the commodity demand was inversely proportional to the price and compared relative scarcity to diminishing marginal utility (Ferdinando). In addition to Value Theory, he contemplated over the morality of interest loans and eventually came to the conclusion that interest “compensates the lender for the risk entailed in parting with his money” and is therefor legal and moral (Ferdinando). He also argues for a lesser degree of mercantilism protectionist international trade policy regarding specific products (Ferdinando).
His view of economic policies during the age of crisis and the rise of the Northern Europe play an instrumental role in understanding economic development during this time period. Historian Paolo Malanima, provides a unique understanding of the age of crisis in Italy with an assessment that the GDP increase, even when wars, plagues, and poor harvests decimated Italy’s population. She even goes as far to mention “specific innovations and examples of growth in Italy in these centuries” during this “so-called crisis” (Malanima 25). Other historians such as Gregory Handlon argue on the opposite side of the spectrum. He claims that due to the shift to the Atlantic, plagues, poor crop yields, and war all contributed the Italy’s collapse. Ferdinando in the midst of this debate, would recognizes the agriculture and manufacturing problems facing Italy. From a political view, these economic hardships, would prevent the Italian states form unifying and growing strong enough to establish themselves as one of the leading colonizers during the age of exploration.
His view of economic policies during the age of crisis and the rise of the Northern Europe play an instrumental role in understanding economic development during this time period. Historian Paolo Malanima, provides a unique understanding of the age of crisis in Italy with an assessment that the GDP increase, even when wars, plagues, and poor harvests decimated Italy’s population. She even goes as far to mention “specific innovations and examples of growth in Italy in these centuries” during this “so-called crisis” (Malanima 25). Other historians such as Gregory Handlon argue on the opposite side of the spectrum. He claims that due to the shift to the Atlantic, plagues, poor crop yields, and war all contributed the Italy’s collapse. Ferdinando in the midst of this debate, would recognizes the agriculture and manufacturing problems facing Italy. From a political view, these economic hardships, would prevent the Italian states form unifying and growing strong enough to establish themselves as one of the leading colonizers during the age of exploration.
Creator
Ferdinando Galiani
Source
Galiani, Ferdinando. Dialogos Sobre El Comercio De Trigo. Madrid: Por D. Joachin Ibarra, 1775.
Date
1775
Rights
Public Domain
Citation
Ferdinando Galiani, “Dialogos sobre el comercio de trigo,” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed April 25, 2026, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/224.