Political Economy and Governmental ReasonA Critical Review on the Book "Usule elme servate melal ya’ni economiypolitik" (Principles of the Wealth of Nations, Namely Économie Politique)

The book “Usule elme servate melal ya’ni economiypolitik” (Principles of the Wealth of Nations, Namely Économie Politique), translated by Mohammad Ali Foroughi, known as Zoka-ul-Molk (the second), is the first scientific book in the field of economics in Iran. As a result, after its republication in recent decades, it has received more attention and reflection from an economic perspective. However, its political implications have been overlooked, especially considering that this work was published in the discursive conflict of the constitutional era. The present article seeks to revisit the book in question by employing Michel Foucault's ideas regarding the relationship between political economy and governmentality from a historical sociological perspective. It aims to analyze the book's political implications and address the question of whether the translation and publication of this work can be considered evidence of the formation of an "economic-political discourse" in Iran. After examining the main themes of the book and its implications for politics and governance, the article responds to the aforementioned question by stating that although Paul Beauregard wrote the book “Économie Politique” within the "discourse of political economy" in France, Mohammad Ali Foroughi translated it in Iran during the dominance of the "legal discourse" of the constitutional era. Therefore, the translation and publication of this book cannot be regarded as an example of an "economic-political discourse" in Iran.