Conclusion
When looking at those of his colleagues included in this Companion who were the closest to Laspeyres in time and outlook, then, if compared with Schmoller's thinking about legal-political frameworks (Peukert, Chapter 53 in this volume), or Roscher's about the ‘shaping of human behavior and of legal arrangements by production conditions and social institutions' (Streissler, Chapter 51 in this volume), Laspeyres seems to stand up rather well as a classic of law and economics.
Sombart's thinking on ‘the “spirit” of the system' and his elaboration ‘in detail on the evolution of legal forms of enterprise and of business transactions' (Chaloupek, Chapter 55 in this volume), or Lorenz von Stein's on ‘a kind of efficiency-oriented law' and ‘the comparative analysis of legal structures designed to find out optimal solutions to given economic problems' (Grossekettler, Chapter 56 in this volume), appear to be, on the other hand, much more significant for, and closer to, law and economics.Still, Laspeyres' insistence on realism in statistics, history, and policy, his use of different sources, the combination of theory and history, and especially his theory-relativizing approach and his interest in the actual effects of a certain regulation, make him, at least for those who hold a European, more inclusive definition of law and economics, one of the approach's (re-) founding protagonists in the nineteenth century.
There are surprisingly few publications about Laspeyres or his work, with the strong exception of the Laspeyres index of his work. His bibliography is in Rinne (1981, pp. 210-14). The History (1863) is available in two different reprints, the younger more than twice as expensive as the older (1961 and 1999). Rinne (1983) is by far the best printed source on Laspeyres' life and career; see also Maul (1930). An essay by the author (Drechsler 2000) deals with Laspeyres and law and economics, especially in the History; the current entry is based on it, although the former comes to more cautious conclusions.
Archival material concerning Laspeyres at the Justus-Liebig-Universitat GieBen (University of GieBen), GieBen, Germany, in the Universitatsarchiv (University Archives), PrA Phil 16 (Laspeyres, Etienne) and especially Phil K 20 (Laspeyres, Etienne), as well as at the Handschriftenabteilung der Universitatsbibliothek (University Library, Manuscript Division), e.g., Hs NF 80-1, Hs NF 109-3a, and Hs 139∕100-12c.References
De Bosch Kemper, J. (1863), ‘Review of Laspeyres', Tijdschrift voor Staathuishoudkunde en Statistiek, 12, 271-87.
Drechsler, W. (2000), ‘Etienne Laspeyres' History of the Economic Thought of the Netherlanders: A law and economics classic?', European Journal of Law and Economics, 10, 235-42.
Laspeyres, E. (1863), Geschichte der Volkswirthschaftlichen Anschauungen der Niederlander und ihrer Litteratur zur Zeit der Republik, ‘Preisschriften gekront und herausgegeben von der Furstlich Jablonowski'schen Gesellschaft zu Leipzig', 11, Leipzig: Hartel. Reprinted (1961) Nieuwkoop: De Graaf; and (1999) Dillenburg: Wissenschaftliches Antiquariat Lothar Gruber.
Laspeyres, E. (1865a), ‘Adam Smith', in Deutsches Staats-Worterbuch, 9, J.C. Bluntschli and K. Brater (eds), Stuttgart and Leipzig: Expedition des Staats-Worterbuchs.
Laspeyres, E (1865b), ‘Staatsmonopole', in Deutsches Staats-Worterbuch, 9, J.C. Bluntschli and K. Brater (eds), Stuttgart and Leipzig: Expedition des Staats-Worterbuchs.
Laspeyres, E. (1867), ‘Staatswirthschaft', in Deutsches Staats-Worterbuch, 10, J.C. Bluntschli and K. Brater (eds), Stuttgart and Leipzig: Expedition des Staats-Worterbuchs.
Laspeyres, E. (1871), ‘Die Berechnung einer mittleren Waarenpreissteigerung', Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik, 16, 296-314, reprinted (1981) 196 (216-)218-37.
Laspeyres, E. (1875), ‘Die Kathedersocialisten und die statistischen Congresse. Gedanken zur Begrundung einer nationalokonomischen Statistik und einer statistischen Nationalokonomie', Deutsche Zeit- und Streitfragen, 52, Berlin: Luderitz/Habel.
Laspeyres, E. (1876), ‘Das Alter der deutschen Professoren. Ein Beitrag zur Universitatsstatistik und Universitatspolitik', Deutsche Zeit- und Streit-Fragen, 5 (74), Berlin: Habel/Luderitz.
Meyers Groβes Conversations-Lexikon 12 (1905), 6th edn, Leipzig and Wien: Bibliographisches Institut.
Lexis, W. (1910), Die Entwicklung der deutschen Volkswirtschaftslehre im neunzehnten Jahrhundert, Leipzig: Duncker and Humblot.
Maul, R. (1930), Laspeyres als statistisch-okonomischer Forscher, PhD thesis, University of Frankfurt/Main, Rockenhausen: Buchdruckerei Blaufus.
Rinne, H. (1984), ‘Zur 150. Wiederkehr des Geburtstages von Ernst Louis Etienne Laspeyres', Gieβener Universitatsblatter, 17 (2), 50-61.
Rinne, H. (1983), ‘Etienne [Laspeyres]', in Neue Deutsche Biographie 13. Berlin: Duncker and Humblot, pp. 660-1.
Rinne, H. (1981), ‘Ernst Louis Etienne Laspeyres, 1834-1913', Jahrbucher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik, 196, 194-215.
Stieda, W. (1921), ‘Zur Erinnerung an Gustav Schmoller und seine StraBburger Zeit', Schmollers Jahrbuch fur Gesetzgebung, Verwaltung und Volkswirtschaft, 45, 219-57 (1115-93).
Vissering, S. (1863), Review of Laspeyres, 1863, Jahrbucher furNationalokonomie und Statistik 1, 732-41.
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