Anders Chydenius
A Finnish priest and politician who, a decade before Adam Smith, articulated the core principles of economic liberty and freedom of the press.
1729–1803 (age 74)·Swedish-Finnish priest, politician, enlightenment thinker and economist·Birthday: February 26
Biography
Anders Chydenius was a force of nature from the remote parish of Kokkola, on Finland's western coast. A Lutheran priest by vocation, he was a radical Enlightenment thinker by passion, using his seat in the Swedish Riksdag as a pulpit for revolutionary ideas. In 1763, he penned 'The National Gain,' a pamphlet that forcefully argued for free trade, deregulation, and individual economic freedom, predating 'The Wealth of Nations' by thirteen years. He didn't stop there; his relentless campaigning was instrumental in Sweden's 1766 passage of one of the world's first laws guaranteeing freedom of the press. Chydenius fought for the despised and the marginalized, advocating for the rights of servants, Sami people, and the rural poor with a conviction that liberty was the engine of national prosperity.
#1 When Anders Was Born
The biggest hits of 1729
Anders's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1729Born
1734Started school
1742Became a teenager
1745Could drive
1747Could vote
1750Turned 21
1759Turned 30
1769Turned 40
1779Turned 50
1789Turned 60
1799Turned 70
1803Died at 74
Key Achievements
- Published 'The National Gain' (1763), a seminal work advocating for free trade and economic liberalism before Adam Smith.
- Was the primary architect and driving force behind Sweden's Freedom of the Press Act of 1766.
- Successfully championed legislation granting foreign trade rights to his home city of Kokkola, breaking a Stockholm monopoly.
Did You Know?
He personally designed and funded an innovative hospital in Kokkola that included isolation wards for contagious diseases.
Chydenius introduced the first known Finnish sheep to North America, sending a flock to Thomas Jefferson.
He was an amateur scientist who published papers on topics like improving tar production and combating smallpox.
“The exercise of one coercion always makes another necessary.”
