The beauty of the struggle. Economic associationism in Luigi Einaudi’s thought

2026/07/24 by Valerio Torreggiani
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Economic Development and Digital Transformation #Economic Theory and Institutions #Political Economy and Marxism

paper · doi:10.1080/09672567.2026.2699387

openalex publication_date 2026/07/24 · openalex created_date 2026/07/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26

Abstract

The article examines Luigi Einaudi’s conception of economic associationism and its role in modern industrial societies. First, it explores Einaudi’s methodological integration of economic theory and history to analyse economic associations as voluntary, pluralistic forms of collective action. Second, by linking Einaudi’s views on economic associations to his broader theoretical framework of equilibrium, freedom, and progress, the study highlights his contributions to both economic analysis and social philosophy. Finally, the article contributes to clarifying Einaudi’s place in the history of economic thought, emphasising how economic associationism offers key insights into his divergence from neoclassical orthodoxy.

Citations

• Luigi Einaudi’s ‘Scienza delle Finanze’ or the science of good government
• When Italian economics “Was Second to None”. Luigi Einaudi and the Turin School of Economics
• Luigi Einaudi's economics of liberalism
• The Italian theories of progressive taxation
• “Marginalizing” Government: From la scienza delle finanze to Wicksell
• THE ECONOMISTS AND THE PRESS IN ITALY FROM THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY UNTIL FASCISM: THE CASE OF LUIGI EINAUDI