Arbitrista

Under Arbitrismus are the economic theories and recommendations of a number of authors understood, which were common in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in Castile in pamphlets and treatises, especially after 1600's.

Bulk

We know from the period 1598 to 1665 more than 165 such memoranda. Go partly due to the economic theories that have been developed from the 1530s theologians from the "School of Salamanca ". The Arbitrismus considered the precursor of French and English mercantilism of the 18th century and with the "School of Salamanca " as one of the earliest scholarly discourses on the economy. The centers of the arbitristischen teaching were the university cities of Salamanca, Valladolid and Toledo. Your most important representatives were Pedro Fernández de Navarrete, Martín González de Cellorigo, Luis Ortiz (published in 1558 ), Sancho Moncada, Tomás de Mercado (published in 1569 ), Antonio Serra and Luis Valle de la Cerda.

The name comes from the name of the sovereign freedom of choice of the king, the arbitrio, addressed to the the memoranda ( Arbitrios ). First mention find the term " Arbitristos " at Cervantes in 1613, but were already used by Francisco de Quevedo in a snide, mocking sense, and today the term " Arbitrista " liable in Spanish the meaning of an unrealistic projects maker on.

Background of the efforts of Arbitristen was the economic decline of Spain (particularly of Castile ). In the 16th century it was through the import of precious metals from the American colonies a rampant inflation in the home country of Spain, and the King Philip II (reigned 1556-1598 ) always raised new taxes to fund its many wars, but especially Castile loaded. At the same time, the economy was dominated by foreign merchants, grain and manufactured goods brought in exchange for the coveted Spanish silver currency into the country. The economy in Spain itself benefited little from the cash flow, the same went abroad often, but was crushed by rising taxes. 1596 Spain was even forced to declare national bankruptcy, and the twelve year truce in the Netherlands from 1609 was also primarily due to the exhaustion of state finances. Prices remained in the period from 1600 to about 1620, although relatively stable, but later resuming an increase ( or because of each taken against controls, a high turnover ) prices a ..

The recommendations and views of arbitristas are not uniform, but they all share a concern for the decline of Castile, who is also on demographic reasons (decreasing population ) is returned. You recommend to promote agriculture through irrigation projects in Spain to promote immigration and so as to populate deserted land again to expand the waterways to build factories in Spain itself and reduce the influence of foreign merchants ( protectionism ). Moreover, they are for tax reform, taking the Physiocrats partially tax plan to reduce to a single base later, the land ownership ( de Cellorigo 1600, de Ceballos 1621). In particular, but they also want a stronger involvement of other parts of the Kingdom of Castile outside of the tax burden. The expenses of the royal household should be scaled back and the sale of offices and honors be set. Philip II had his coffers by such sale, as well as a deterioration of the money - as an alternative to more drastic increase in taxes - filled.

The influence of Arbitristen to the Spanish crown was limited. The reforms of the Minister of Philip IV (Spain ) (reigned 1621-1665 ) Olivares in the period around 1624 are attributed to their influence. In the library of Olivares, there were indeed only three Arbitrista pamphlets, one of which was but of Jeronimo de Ceballos ( 1621, published 1623), in which he recommended to establish a national banking system, which should make the collection of taxes cheaper and this also the warfare of the king and the fleet was to be financed. Olivares took up some of these ideas to a real reform came there but only in the 18th century.

Arbitristen as Sancho Moncada ( 1619) saw the economy as a science. In this they followed the School of Salamanca ( founded by Francisco de Vittorio 1536), which developed in the 16th century, a theory of prices and money due to supply and demand and thus the causes of the " price revolution " of the 16th century - the precious metal exports from the colonies - named. Friedrich Hayek, whose pupil Grice - Hutchinson explored the history of the school, led these early mercantilist theories in Spain to the quip, not ( according to Max Weber), the Calvinists would have created capitalism, but the Jesuits in Spain.

Some writings of Arbitristen

  • Luis Ortiz Memorial al Rey para que no Salgan dineros de España, 1558
  • Tomás de Mercado de tratos Suma y contratos, 1569
  • Luis Valle de la Cerda Desempeño del patrímonto de Su Majestad y de los reinos, sin Daño del Rey y vasallos, y con descanso y alivio de todos, por medio de los Montes de Piedad y Erarios públicos, 1600
  • Martin González de Cellorigo Memorial de la política necesaria y útil restauración de España y estados de ella, y Desempeño universal de estos reinos, 1600
  • Antonio Serra delle cause che Breve trattato possono far abbondare li regni d' oro e d' argento dove non sono miniere, 1613
  • Sancho Moncada Discursos, 1619, as new Restauración política de España, 1746
  • Pedro Fernández de Navarrete Conservación de las monarquías y Discursos políticos, 1626
France England Toledo, Spain Miguel de Cervantes
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