Abstract
This article studies Condillac’s pioneering contribution to economics, which in many ways anticipates modern neoclassical value and exchange theory. The paper argues that his economic theory is related to his philosophy, known as sensationalism, which provides a possible foundation for an economic theory based on the concept of human action and choice. The rejection by nineteenth-century economists of the exchange model and theory of value developed by Condillac is related in the article to the core differences between the plutological and catallactic perspectives. Despite this rejection of his contributions, we show how the author’s philosophy still influenced the works of some economists of the period, notably Destutt de Tracy.
Keywords
Condillac; Sensationalism; Catallactics; Subjectivism