Lecture series · recorded 2010
Economic Thought Before Adam Smith
Economic Thought Before Adam Smith is a free lecture series (29 recordings, 26.6 hours) you can stream or download at freecapitalists.org, with Murray N. Rothbard.
In volume one, Murray Rothbard traces economic ideas from ancient sources to show that laissez-faire liberalism and economic thought itself began with the Spanish Scholastics and early Roman, Greek, and canon law. Unfortunately, Adam Smith’s labor cost theories became the dominant view, especially in Britain. Rothbard regards Smith as largely a retrograde influence on economic theory. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Cover painting: rioters seize flour and weigh it out at their own price, Flour War, Versailles, May 1775. See every painting in the art gallery.
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01
26:36 Download MP3
Introduction 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages vii-xiii in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Austrian Economics OverviewHistory of the Austrian School of EconomicsOther Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 3,140 words
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02
3:44 Download MP3
Acknowledgements 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages xv-xvi in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Austrian Economics OverviewOther Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 499 words
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03
32:45 Download MP3
1. The First Philosopher-Economists: the Greeks 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 3-10 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Austrian Economics OverviewOther Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 3,752 words
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04
1:07:13 Download MP3
1. The First Philosopher-Economists: the Greeks (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 10-27 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Austrian Economics OverviewOther Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 8,001 words
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05
1:04:35 Download MP3
2. The Christian Middle Ages 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 31-47 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,896 words
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06
1:10:37 Download MP3
2. The Christian Middle Ages (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 47-64 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 8,228 words
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07
57:14 Download MP3
3. From Middle Ages to Renaissance 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 67-81 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,918 words
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08
55:12 Download MP3
3. From Middle Ages to Renaissance (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 81-95 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,215 words
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09
1:14:05 Download MP3
4. The Late Spanish Scholastics 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 99-116 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 8,711 words
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10
1:04:30 Download MP3
4. The Late Spanish Scholastics (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 117-133 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,907 words
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11
52:00 Download MP3
5. Protestants and Catholics 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 135-150 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,192 words
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12
55:24 Download MP3
5. Protestants and Catholics (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 150-164 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,812 words
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13
1:02:37 Download MP3
6. Absolutist Thought in Italy and France 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 179-193 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach
Other Schools of ThoughtPolitical TheoryWorld History
Read the transcript 7,501 words
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14
1:00:31 Download MP3
6. Absolutist Thought in Italy and France (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 194-209 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach
Other Schools of ThoughtPolitical TheoryWorld History
Read the transcript 7,182 words
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15
1:11:22 Download MP3
7. Mercantilism: Serving the Absolute State 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 213-230 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 8,349 words
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16
1:05:44 Download MP3
8. French Mercantilist Thought in the 17th Century 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 231-251 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,918 words
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17
33:42 Download MP3
9. The Liberal Reaction Against Mercantilism in Seventeenth Century France 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 255-274 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 4,095 words
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18
40:52 Download MP3
9. The Liberal Reaction Against Mercantilism in Seventeenth Century France (continuted) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 255-274 in the text. Narrated Read by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 4,899 words
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19
59:35 Download MP3
10. Mercantilism and Freedom in England from the Tudors to the Civil War 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 277-304 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,205 words
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20
48:54 Download MP3
10. Mercantilism and Freedom in England from the Tudors to the Civil War (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 277-304 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 5,849 words
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21
56:40 Download MP3
11. Mercantilism and Freedom in England from the Civil War to 1750 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 306-338 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,633 words
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22
1:01:01 Download MP3
11. Mercantilism and Freedom in England from the Civil War to 1750 (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 306-338 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,030 words
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23
1:07:23 Download MP3
12. The Founding Father of Modern Economics: Richard Cantillon 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 345-361 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,822 words
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24
1:07:01 Download MP3
13. Physiocracy in Mid-Eighteenth Century 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 365-382 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 7,910 words
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25
1:03:14 Download MP3
14. The Brilliance of Turgot 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 385-412 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtPolitical TheoryWorld History
Read the transcript 7,911 words
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26
52:13 Download MP3
15. The Scottish Enlightenment 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 417-430 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,388 words
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27
53:22 Download MP3
16. The Celebrated Adam Smith 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 435-471 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 11,135 words
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28
47:03 Download MP3
16. The Celebrated Adam Smith (continued) 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 435-471 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 6,231 words
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29
58:09 Download MP3
17. The Spread of the Smithian Movement 2010
From An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Volume I. Pages 477-502 in the text. Narrated by Jeff Riggenbach.
Other Schools of ThoughtWorld History
Read the transcript 11,725 words
People in this series
Speakers
Recording dates, summaries and topics for 29 of these 29 lectures come from the Mises Institute's page for Economic Thought Before Adam Smith, checked 2026-09-27.
Community
Discussed on the forum
Threads on Mises Community, this archive's companion forum, whose titles name this course. These are reader conversations, not part of the archive.
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error in economic thought before adam smith?Dormant
Economics Questions
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About this series
- Is Economic Thought Before Adam Smith free to listen to?
- Yes. All 29 mirrored recordings stream in the browser or download as audio, at no cost and with no signup.
- How long is Economic Thought Before Adam Smith?
- 29 recordings, 26.6 hours in total.
- When was Economic Thought Before Adam Smith recorded?
- 2010, per the recording dates recovered for this series.
- Is there a transcript of Economic Thought Before Adam Smith?
- Yes. Every lecture in the series has one, 200,054 words in total, free to read on each lecture's page and searchable in the browser.
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