Francois Quesnay was an 18th-century French economist and a leading figure of the Physiocratic school of thought. Born in 1694, he is best known for his contributions to economic theory, particularly his belief that agriculture was the primary source of wealth. Quesnay emphasized the importance of land and natural resources in generating economic value. Quesnay's most notable work is the Tableau Économique, which illustrated the flow of goods and money in an economy. He argued that a nation's prosperity depended on its agricultural output and advocated for minimal government intervention in economic affairs, laying the groundwork for classical economics.