----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- The "1776" in the original question should have been "1876". That is quite right. The question was asked in a moment of idle rumination, and without sufficient attention. As I have become aware of the early use of the term, however, I have also become aware that the meaning that has been attached to the term has changed. Would it have been Derrida who would have written the history of economics by uncovering the effective contextualization of the term in different periods? Robin Neill ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]