20
Mar
2014
Politique étrangère Articles from Politique Etrangère
Jacques FONTANEL

Does International Commerce Help Foster Peace? Politique étrangère, Vol. 79, No. 1, Spring 2014

Montesquieu’s theory of “doux commerce” has never ceased to be debated.

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Its most virulent critics have been Marxists for whom commercial exchange between capitalist economies is based on exploitation of the proletariat and leads to imperialism and conflict. The collapse of the communist bloc failed to bring an end to this controversy. Today, certain economists maintain that interdependence is a stabilizing factor whereas others claim that it increases tensions.

Published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 79, No. 1, Spring 2014.

 

Keywords
Great War International Commerce peace war World Trade Organization (WTO)