The Turgot Collection

Six Projects of Edicts

Turgot suggests six edicts to be enacted to the king that would result in comprehensive economic freedom for France. The arguments he gives for abolishing the corvée, compulsory labor to construct roads, are characteristic. Forced labor is inefficient, since workers who are not paid have no incentive to do good work. In addition, the compulsory laborers are taxed twice: not only do they receive no pay for their work, but they are prevented from doing productive work for pay during the term of their forced labor. Claims that forced labor allows more roads to be built at the same time than relying on the market fail because the roads are useless unless supplemented by other facilities provided by the market. Likewise, the guild system is inefficient and ought to be curtailed. It is a harmful restriction on free labor. Turgot’s other edicts propose eliminating other restrictions on the free market, such as taxes on grain and suet.