Johann Heinrich Gottlob Justi
Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justi (28 December 1717[1] – 21 July 1771) was one of the leading German political economists in the 18th century.
Life
Justi was born in
Oeuvre
Justi's oeuvre consists of more than 50 independent works dealing with philosophical, literary, technological, geological, chemical, physical as well as political and economic issues. For most of his life, Justi did not hold a permanent position in academia or public administration but had to live from the royalties of his writings. Accordingly, he tried to present at least two new titles at each of the two large annual German book fairs in Leipzig and Frankfurt. This circumstance accounts for the manifold textual similarities that can be found within Justi's works.
Writing against the background of the European power struggle during the
In his political writings, Justi stressed that a country could only be economically and commercially successful if it was run by a moderate government that recognised the inviolability of private property. By contrast, despotism necessarily led to the impoverishment and military weakening of a country. Under the influence of Montesquieu Justi extensively discussed the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of government, yet concluded that the only form of government that would be able to coordinate and implement wide-ranging economic reforms was a modernised monarchical regime.
Justi came up with a broad range of ideas for economic reform. Apart from measures supporting population growth and fostering competition (by reducing the power of guilds and corporations), Justi viewed the increase in private consumption (by abolishing sumptuary laws), the spread of manufactures and companies as well as the growth in external trade (with the help of government-sponsored trade companies and the abolition of prohibitions regarding the import and export of goods) as cornerstones for economic success. These measures had to be accompanied by improvements in mining and agriculture.
Ultimately, these reforms could only be successful if they were supported by a comprehensive tax reform that would lead, among other things, to the abolition of the excise tax (Akzise). In his financial writings, the influence of contemporary French writings as well as
shines through.On various issues, Justi seems to take positions that resemble the views of Adam Smith. However, his overall argument – the need for short-term government interventions in order to obtain a liberal economic order in the long term – is far closer to thinkers such as Sir James Steuart (economist).
Research on Justi has primarily focused on his works on political economy (see overview studies by Ferdinand Frensdorff and Ulrich Adam). Other parts of his comprehensive oeuvre have not yet been studied in detail.
Secondary literature
- Ulrich Adam: The Political Economy of J.H.G. Justi. Peter Lang, Oxford 2006, ISBN 3-03910-278-8
- Ferdinand Frensdorff: Über das Leben und die Schriften des Nationalökonomen J.H.G. von Justi. Göttingen 1903
- Dirk Fleischer: "Kirchenverständnis aus polizeiwissenschaftlicher Sicht. Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justis Verständnis der Kirche", in Albrecht Beutel et al.(ed.): Christentum im Übergang. Neue Studien zu Kirche und Religion in der Aufklärungszeit. Leipzig 2006, pp. 71–83, ISBN 3-374-02396-7
- Andre Wakefield: The Disordered Police State. German Cameralism as Science and Practice. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2009. ISBN 978-0-226-87020-5
Selected writings
- Staatswirtschaft oder systematische Abhandlung aller ökonomischen und Cameralwissenschaft, 2 volumes, I+II (1755)
- Entdeckte Ursachen des verderbten Münzwesens in Teutschland; Leipzig 1755 Breitkopf
- Grundsätze der Polizeywissenschaft (1756)]
- Die Chimäre des Gleichgewichts von Europa (1758)
- Vollständige Abhandlung von denen Manufakturen und Fabriken, 2 Bände, I (1758), II (1761)
- Staatswirthschaft, oder systematische Abhandlung aller Oekonomischen und Cameral-Wissenschaften, die zur Regierung eines Landes erfodert werden. In zweien Theilen sgefertigt. Erster Theil, Welcher die Lehre -von Erhaltung und Vermehrung des Vermogens des Staats, und mithin die Staatskunst, die Policey- und Commereien-Wissenschaft nebst der Haushaltungskunst in sich begreifft. Zweyte stark vermehrte Auflage (1758)
- Die Chimäre des Gleichgewichts der Handlung und Schiffahrt (1759)
- Der Grundriss einer guten Regierung (1759)
- Psammitichus, 2 volumes, I (1759), II (1760)
- Natur und Wesen der Staaten (1760)
- Leben und Charakter des Königl. Polnischen und Churfürstl. Sächsischen Premier-Ministre Grafens von Brühl, 3 volumes, I (1760), II (1761), III (1764)
- Die Grundsätze zur Macht und Glückseligkeit der Staaten, 2 volumes, I (1760), II (1761)
- Gesammelte politische und Finanzschriften 3 volumes, I+II (1761), III (1764)
- Vergleichungen der europäischen mit den asiatischen und andern vermeintlich barbarischen Regierungen (1762)
- Ausführliche Abhandlung von denen Steuern und Abgaben (1762)[permanent dead link]
- Die Kunst das Silber zu affiniren oder das mit andern Metallen vermischte Silber wider fein zu machen (1765) Digitalisierte Ausgabe
- System des Finanzwesens (1766)