Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de l'Aulne (/tʊərˈɡoʊ/; French: [tyʁgo ]; 10 May 1727 – 18 March 1781), commonly known as Turgot, was a French economist and statesman. Originally considered a physiocrat, he is today best remembered as an early advocate for economic liberalism. He is thought to be the first economist to have recognized the law of diminishing marginal returns in agriculture.