Libertarian economic thought and non-capitalist money: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) and Silvio Gesell (1862-1930): a “Monetary Analysis Socialism”?

Simon Papaud (1, 2)

1 LEFMI - Laboratoire d’Économie, Finance, Management et Innovation - UR UPJV 4286
2 TRIANGLE - Triangle : action, discours, pensée politique et économique

In this paper, I study the relation between the economic thought of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and his claimed heir Silvio Gesell. I argue that their socialism can be described as a « Monetary Analysis Socialism »: both authors place the monetary institution at the very heart of their economic analysis and consider a profound transformation of the rules that govern that institution as a necessary preliminary to the advent of socialism. Their efforts to conceive non-capitalist monetary systems aren't, I argue, a fortuitous trait of libertarian thought : the will to think a coordination for individual action that does not involve central coordination makes the monetary system a central object for libertarian political thought, and the design of this institution a crucial political issue.

Mots clés: Monetary Analysis; Non-capitalist Money; Proudhon; Gesell; Anarchism

Domaines: Economies et finances

Simon Papaud. Libertarian economic thought and non-capitalist money: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) and Silvio Gesell (1862-1930): a “Monetary Analysis Socialism”?: LEFMI Working Paper Series #3. 2022. ⟨hal-04084725⟩