In the introductory section of "A B C du travailleur" (1868), author Edmond About details the origins and core motivation behind his economic treatise.
The project began several years prior through an ongoing correspondence with a representative group of approximately seventy Parisian workers, each representing a distinct trade. On behalf of an expansive network of laborers, a prominent and respected worker proposed that About author a concise, accessible book outlining fundamental practical truths relevant to their daily lives. The workers expressed deep frustration with their harsh conditions and the lack of upward mobility for future generations, finding themselves trapped between theories that condemned them to perpetual abjection and subversive ideologies advocating violent revolution.
Having learned from past social revolutions that riots primarily harm the poor, the working-class representatives sought alternative solutions. They questioned whether peaceful coalitions or reducing personal expenses by eliminating commercial middlemen could alleviate their financial burdens. By organizing into associations to purchase goods collectively, the workers reasoned they could replicate the economic efficiency of wealthy households. Furthermore, they conceptualized that by pooling their modest savings, they could eventually amass enough independent capital to establish self-run enterprises, working for their own benefit without sharing profits with external employers. However, their lack of education regarding economic principles served as a major barrier, preventing them from safely navigating these practical trials. Consequently, they requested a straightforward, conversational explanation of complex terms such as capital, revenue, wages, production, cooperation, and taxation.
About accepted the challenge, realizing that a clear exposition of social economy would benefit not just urban laborers, but also farmers, merchants, industrialists, and artists who engage in economic activities without truly understanding them. While acknowledging the existence of excellent academic economic texts, About notes that they are typically too expensive and written in an overly abstract, geometric style that alienates the general public. He argues that while most citizens understand general civil and penal laws, the majority remains completely ignorant of the immutable laws of economics. This widespread ignorance allows deceptive sophisms to thrive, fueling an unnecessary, adversarial conflict between capital and labor. Because interests clash in total obscurity, rich and poor harbor mutual animosity, failing to realize their inherent interdependence. Ultimately, About frames his book as a modest attempt to illuminate these economic complexities, providing a simple guide to dispel destructive social myths and foster mutual understanding.