Josiah Tucker

Josiah Tucker (1713–1799), also known as Dean Tucker was an 18th century English economist and political writer, concerned with Jewish emancipation and American independence.

Josiah Tucker was an economist and political writer, and also dean of Gloucester. He was born at Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, perhaps of peasant origin, or perhaps the son of a minor official. His first published work was an attack on Methodism.

He made his name as an economist with "A Brief Essay on the Advantages and Disadvantages, which Respectively Attend France and Great Britain" (1749). It was translated into French and may have influenced the later French physiocrats ("economistes"). He has been suggested as a source of Smith's ideas, though this is disputed.In the 1750s, Tucker supported Robert Nugent's bills for the 'naturalization' of foreigners, including Jews. Britain then had no concept of citizenship: Jews had less rights unless they converted to Christianity. (See Jewish Emancipation for the full story.)

Tucker argued with both Edmund Burke and John Wilkes over attitudes to Britain's American colonies and took a distinctive position on the American War of Independence. As early as 1766, he thought a separation inevitable. But he was also hostile to the Americans. He wrote several interesting pamphlets, including "A Series of Answers to Certain Popular Objections Against Separating from the Rebellious Colonies" (1776).

Sources

* "Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography".

Works

* [http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/tucker/CivilGovernment.pdf "A Treatise Concerning Civil Government"] (1781)
* R. L. Schulyer (ed.), "Josiah Tucker: a selection from his economic and political writings",New York, 1931.

Bibliography

* CLARK W. E., "Josiah Tucker, economist: a study in the history of economics", New York, 1903.
* JOHNSON E. A., "Predecessors of Adam Smith", New York, 1937.
* KOEHN Nancy F., "The Power of Commerce: Economy and Governance in the First British Empire", Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1994. (Especially the chapter entitled "Managing the Great Machine of Trade.")
* SHELTON G., "Dean Tucker and 18th-century economics and political thought", New York, 1981.