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Rothbard discusses the Salamanca school here. The same site has some other articles on the school, like Jesus Huerta de Soto's biography of Juan de Mariana. Part of the reason for this emphasis may be Rothbard's courting of "natural law" Catholic paleoconservatives after he left the New Left.

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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

TGGP,

I have not read that particular work of Rothbard. In the linked article I saw no discussion of the Salamanca School. Many have noted their role as early premonitors of the idea of marginal utility, although one can argue that they lacked a fully developed view of economics.

Regarding Smith, so frequently cited as the founder of modern economics, there is very little in his works that is completely original with him. In many ways, he was one of those excellent synthesizers of previously existing views, a good writer who put it all together in a convincing package. Thus, he is remembered more for the eloquence and pungency of some of his passages, even as we have largely forgotten those with similar views or arguments who preceded him.

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