A Transnational German

Abstract

According to the existing scholarship, cameralists were generally in favour of a closed protectionist state. This was often conceptualised with reference either to Spartan or Chinese virtues. This so-called "philosophical way" or "isolated way", so they argued, would lead the German states into long-lasting happiness. However, closer scrutiny of the thoughts of late cameralists, particularly Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justi, reveals a counter approach to international order and trade that challenges current understandings of a cameralist penchant for autarky. This chapter argues that Justi did not consider an exit from interstate competition feasible for Prussia nor for any European state. The "philosophical way" had become impossible in Europe because of the depth of ties created by interstate trade. Justi instead contended that the only way for European states to go was that of the "man of the world". The chapter reveals that Justi, often heralded as late cameralism's greatest theoretician, in fact suggested the emulation of British practices of international trade by Prussia. The principle advocate of "cameral sciences", which have been considered as a land-locked discipline, was, in fact, deeply embedded in his transnational world.

Moses Mendelssohn y los peligros de la felicidad nacional

“…U na de las notas distintivas del pensamiento ilustrado ha sido su atención creciente dirigida a la figura de la felicidad (cf. Nokkala y Miller 2020;Wootton 2018). Tal interés fue acabadamente testimoniado por la profusión de publicaciones enteramente dedicadas al tema durante este período, entre las que cabe mencionar Les Rêves d'Un Homme de Bien Qui Peuvent Être Réalisés, Ou Les Vues Utiles Et Pratiquables del abad Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre publicada en 1775, Essai sur le bonheur de Louis de Beausobre publicada en 1758, Discours sur le bonheur de Émilie Du Châtelet póstumamente publicada en 1806, y La philosophie du bonheur de Jean-Baptiste-Claude Delisle de Sales publicado en 1796.…”