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Quotes from The Theory of Political Economy — William Stanley Jevons

1835–1882 England

← All quotes by William Stanley Jevons

43 quotes

The calculus of utility aims at supplying the ordinary wants of man at the least cost of labour.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Repeated reflection and inquiry have led me to the somewhat novel opinion, that value depends entirely upon utility.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Our English economists have been living in a fool's paradise.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Q, which would include quantity of space or time or force, in fact almost any kind of quantity.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

The difficulties of economics are mainly the difficulties of conceiving clearly and fully the conditions of utility.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Economists can never be free of from difficulties unless they will distinguish between a theory and the application of a theory.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

One of the first and most difficult steps in a science is to conceive clearly the nature of the magnitudes about which we are arguing.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Truth indeed is sacred; but, as Pilate said, "What is truth?"

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

In any case I hold that there must arise a science of the development of economic forms and relations.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

It is clear that economics, if it is to be a science at all, must be a mathematical science.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Over-production is not possible in all branches of industry at once, but it is possible in some as compared to others.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

By a commodity we shall understand any object, substance, action or service, which can afford pleasure or ward off pain.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

There are many portions of economical doctrine which appear to me as scientific in form as they are consonant with facts.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

One pound invested for five years gives the same result as five pounds invested for one year, the product being five pound years.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

What capital I give for the spade merely replaces what the manufacturer had already invested in the expectation that the spade would be needed.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Property is only another name for monopoly.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

In reality, there is no such thing as an exact science.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

A correct theory is the first step towards improvement, by showing what we need and what we might accomplish.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

An isolated man like Alexander Selkirk might feel the benefit of a stock of provisions, tools and other means of facilitating industry, although cut off from traffic, with other men.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

I protest against deference to any man, whether John Stuart Mill, or Adam Smith, or Aristotle, being allowed to check inquiry. Our science has become far too much a stagnant one, in which opinions rather than experience and reason are appealed to.

The Theory of Political Economy (1871)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Stanley Jevons (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.