Quote

Like all other contracts, wages should be left to the fair and free competition of themarket, and should never be controlled by the interference of the legislature.

David Ricardo

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

David Ricardo
Age: 50 †
Born: 1772
Born: April 19
Died: 1823
Died: January 1
Economist
Philosopher
Politician
Stockbroker
London
England
Economy
Legislature
Wisdom
Contracts
Politics
Wages
Free
Liberalism
Left
Controlled
Never
Fairs
Like
Fair
Competition
Interference

More quotes by David Ricardo

Image
Gold and silver are no doubt subject to fluctuations, from the discovery of new and more abundant mines but such discoveries are rare, and their effects, though powerful, are limited to periods of comparatively short duration.
David Ricardo
Image
No extension of foreign trade will immediately increase the amount of value in a country, although it will very powerfully contribute to increase the mass of commodities and therefore the sum of enjoyments.
David Ricardo
Image
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.
David Ricardo
Image
The farmer and manufacturer can no more live without profit than the labourer without wages.
David Ricardo
Image
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.
David Ricardo
Image
By far the greatest part of those goods which are the objects of desire, are procured by labour and they may be multiplied, not in one country alone, but in many, almost without any assignable limit, if we are disposed to bestow the labour necessary to obtain them.
David Ricardo
Image
A rise in wages, from an alteration in the value of money, produces a general effect on price, and for that reason it produces no real effect whatever on profits.
David Ricardo
Image
LABOUR, like all other things which are purchased and sold, and which may be increased or diminished in quantity, has its natural and its market price. The natural price of labour is that price which is necessary to enable the labourers, on with another, to subsist and to perpetuate their race, without either increase or diminution.
David Ricardo
Image
If I discover a manure which will enable me to make a piece of land produce 20 per cent more corn, I may withdraw at least a portion of my capital from the most unproductive part of my farm.
David Ricardo
Image
Utility then is not the measure of exchangeable value, although it is absolutely essential to it.
David Ricardo
Image
The exchangeable value of all commodities rises as the difficulties of their production increase.
David Ricardo
Image
As the revenue of the farmer is realized in raw produce, or in the value of raw produce, he is interested, as well as the landlord, in its high exchangeable value, but a low price of produce may be compensated to him by a great additional quantity.
David Ricardo
Image
The price of corn will naturally rise with the difficulty of producing the last portions of it.
David Ricardo
Image
Whenever, then, the usual and ordinary rate of the profits of agricultural stock, and all the outgoings belonging to the cultivation of land, are together equal to the value of the whole produce, there can be no rent.
David Ricardo
Image
A rise of wages from this cause will, indeed, be invariably accompanied by a rise in the price of commodities but in such cases, it will be found that labour and all commodities have not varied in regard to each other, and that the variation has been confined to money.
David Ricardo
Image
The wheat bought by a farmer to sow is comparatively a fixed capital to the wheat purchased by a baker to make into loaves.
David Ricardo
Image
Called an inquiry into the laws which determine the division of the produce.
David Ricardo
Image
Every transaction in commerce is an independent transaction.
David Ricardo
Image
Taxation under every form presents but a choice of evils.
David Ricardo
Image
Profits are not made by differential cleverness, but by differential stupidity.
David Ricardo