The existing literature on Walras has focused on his Elements of Pure Economics to an extent which has unbalanced our view of his work. Jan van Daal and Albert Jolink pay very careful attention to Walras' general equilibrium models, tracing their development through the five editions of his Elements. But they also place his equilibrium exercises in a broader context, arguing that these models should be considered as an instrument in Walras' design for optimal economic order.

Leon Walras (1834-1910) was one of the key thinkers behind the development of marginal utility theory and his introduction of general equilibrium theory is one of the cornerstones of modern economic thought. Now, his seminal work Etudes d'economie politique appliquee, first published in 1898, is available in English, in both hardback and paperback.

This work sits aside Elements d'economie politique pure (1874) and Etudes d'economie sociale (1896, English translation, Routledge 2010) as one of Walras' crowning achievements.

Walras s...

The existing literature on Walras has focused on his 'Elements of Pure Economics' to an extent which has unbalanced our view of his work. Jan van Daal and Albert Jolink pay very careful attention to Walras' general equilibrium models, tracing their development through the five editions of his 'Elements'. But they also place his equilibrium exercises in a broader context, arguing that these models should be considered as an instrument in Walras' design for optimal economic order.