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Quotes from The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation — David Ricardo

1772–1823 England

← All quotes by David Ricardo

32 quotes

Utility then is not the measure of exchangeable value, although it is absolutely essential to it.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Every transaction in commerce is an independent transaction.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Possessing utility, commodities derive their exchangeable value from two sources: from their scarcity, and from the quantity of labour required to obtain them.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

There can be no greater error then in supposing that capital is increased by non-consumption.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

If a tax on malt would raise the price of beer, a tax on bread must raise the price of bread.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

The farmer and manufacturer can no more live without profit than the labourer without wages.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

The demand for money is regulated entirely by its value, and its value by its quantity.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

It has been my endeavour to show in this work that a fall of wages would have no other effect than to raise profits.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

The wheat bought by a farmer to sow is comparatively a fixed capital to the wheat purchased by a baker to make into loaves.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

" for price is everywhere regulated by the return obtained by this last portion of capital, for which no rent whatever is paid.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Under a system of perfectly free commerce, each country naturally devotes its capital and labour to such employments as are most beneficial to each.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

If English money was of the same value then as before, Hamburgh money must have risen in value. But where is the proof of this?

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

But a tax on luxuries would no other effect than to raise their price. It would fall wholly on the consumer, and could neither increase wages nor lower profits.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

The variation in the value of money, however great, makes no difference in the rate of profits;...

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

The price of corn will naturally rise with the difficulty of producing the last portions of it,...

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Rent is that portion of the produce of the earth which is paid to the landlord for the use of the original and indestructible powers of the soil.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

A BOUNTY on the exportation of corn tends to lower its price to the foreign consumer, but it has no permanent effect on its price in the home market.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Whenever the current of money is forcibly stopped, and when money is prevented from settling at its just level, there are no limits to the possible variations of the exchange.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

To alter the money value of commodities, by altering the value of money, and yet to raise the same money amount by taxes, is then undoubtedly to increase the burthens of society.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Whether a bank lent one million, ten million, or a hundred millions, they would not permanently alter the market rate of interest; they would alter only the value of the money they issued.

The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1821)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: David Ricardo (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.