The Spanish Scholastics of 14th through 17th century Spain had produced a body of thought largely similar to our modern understanding of economics.  The work of these scholars was largely lost to the English speaking world we've inherited.  The French physiocrats carried the discipline forward in the 18th century with prominent economists of the time including A. R. J. Turgot and Richard Cantillon.   A strategic error was made by these French advocates of laissez-faire as they attempted to change policy by influencing the King to embrace free markets, only to have the institution of monarchy itself delegitimized.  Thus a guilt by association undermined the credibility of the laissez-faire theorists.