Alain Alcouffe & Philippe Massot-Bordenave 
Adam Smith in Toulouse and Occitania [PDF ebook] 
The Unknown Years

This book provides substantial background on what Adam Smith did during his stay in Toulouse and the Languedoc region of France during the 18th century. This is a crucial period in Smith’s life for at least two reasons: i) it is during this time that Smith began to work on
The Wealth of Nations; and ii) it is generally understood that although some of his ideas about political economy were already formed before his trip, his encounters with many French political economists during his time in France helped him to further develop them. As such, this book provides a rich resource to further understanding Smith’s world, his travel experiences and the people he met during this time and situates these within the broader context of Smith’s life as a whole, and within the British aristocracy.






This work will be of value to students and researchers in the history of economic thought, travel studies and Scottish studies.

Table of Content

Prologue.- Chapter I. Two Scottish Visitors.- Chapter 2.Two Scots in Toulouse.- Chapter 3. Smith and the Calas Affair.- Chapter 4. Smith’s Journeys in the Southwest.- Chapter 5. The Languedoc estates and the end of the stay.- Conclusion.

About the author

Alain Alcouffe is Emeritus Professor of Economics at University of Toulouse, France. He served as Director of Toulouse University Network (2001–2005) and President of the International Walras Association (2013–2015). His research interests lie in corporate governance, economics of knowledge, business intelligence, ecological economics, economics of Language, economic history and history of economic thought. 




Philippe Massot-Bordenave, graduated from the Paris ISC Business School. He holds a Masters in Social Economy from the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, and a doctorate in modern history from Jean-Jaurès University in Toulouse.