Biography.guide
Home › People › Economist › Auguste Walras
Portrait of Auguste Walras

Auguste Walras

1801 – 1866

French economist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Auguste Walras

Lived 1801 – 1866 (aged 65). Auguste Walras was a French economist.

Auguste Walras (; 1801–1866) was a French school administrator and economist. He was the father of Léon Walras, who was influenced greatly by his father's opinions on economics.

Auguste Walras convinced his son to end his original literary aspirations in favor of economic studies. It was his idea to consider rareté (scarcity) and utility as the source of value. He also encouraged him to use mathematical methods, probably inspired by his former classmate Augustin Cournot.

Auguste Walras found the value of goods by rating their scarcity relative to human wants. His own efforts concerning his theories consisted of a basic idea which Leon Walras was to use. Auguste Walras' opinion on nationalization of land was also adopted by the young Walras.

Major works De la nature de la richesse et de l'origine de la valeur (On the nature of riches and the origin of value), 1831. "Considérations sur la mesure de la valeur et sur la fonction de métaux precieux" (Considerations on the measure of value and the role of precious metals), 1836, Revue mensuelle d'économie politique Theorie de la Richesse Sociale (Theory of social wealth), 1849. Esquisse d'une Théorie de la Richesse (Sketch of a theory of wealth), 1863

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour

People in Auguste Walras's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Auguste Walras's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Auguste Walras?

French economist (1801–1866)

When was Auguste Walras born?

Auguste Walras was born on 1 February 1801 in Montpellier.

When did Auguste Walras die?

Auguste Walras died on 18 April 1866 in Pau.

What was Auguste Walras's occupation?

Auguste Walras was an economist.

What nationality was Auguste Walras?

Auguste Walras was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Auguste Walras

· Wikidata: Q786234

· DBpedia: Auguste Walras

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Auguste Walras. https://biography.guide/auguste-walras/

MLA: "Auguste Walras." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/auguste-walras/.

Chicago: "Auguste Walras." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/auguste-walras/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:03 UTC