John Locke: Economist and Social Scientist
Title
John Locke: Economist and Social Scientist
Description
John Locke: Economist and Social Scientist is a comprehensive treatment of Locke’s economic thought and its relationship to his political and social philosophy, a subject that until now has been neglected by Locke scholars.
The first half of the book is devoted to a detailed analysis of Locke’s economic ideas. Vaughn examines Locke’s theories of value, money, interest, rent, and international trade. She argues that because of the systematic and objective nature of Locke’s analysis, he must be regarded as a scientific economist.
The second half deals with the interrelation between Locke’s economic thought and his political thought. In essence, he believed that the role of government should be limited to protecting a fundamentally benign economic order. This view, Vaughn shows, was based on his belief both that the economy functioned according to laws of nature, that the government was powerless to counteract, and the property distribution resulting from the functioning of these laws was essentially just. Vaughn concludes that Locke did more than simply assert the existence of economic laws. He also attributed their functioning to the actions of individuals intent on pursuing their own self-interest, and hence she sees in him a forerunner of Adam Smith as a formulator of economics as a social science.
The first half of the book is devoted to a detailed analysis of Locke’s economic ideas. Vaughn examines Locke’s theories of value, money, interest, rent, and international trade. She argues that because of the systematic and objective nature of Locke’s analysis, he must be regarded as a scientific economist.
The second half deals with the interrelation between Locke’s economic thought and his political thought. In essence, he believed that the role of government should be limited to protecting a fundamentally benign economic order. This view, Vaughn shows, was based on his belief both that the economy functioned according to laws of nature, that the government was powerless to counteract, and the property distribution resulting from the functioning of these laws was essentially just. Vaughn concludes that Locke did more than simply assert the existence of economic laws. He also attributed their functioning to the actions of individuals intent on pursuing their own self-interest, and hence she sees in him a forerunner of Adam Smith as a formulator of economics as a social science.
Creator
Karen Iversen Vaughn
Publisher
The Athlone Press
Date
1980
Format
PDF
Language
English
Original Format
Paper
Files
Collection
Citation
Karen Iversen Vaughn, “John Locke: Economist and Social Scientist,” NCI Archive, accessed July 2, 2026, https://archive.ncirl.ie/items/show/1202.