Home / Authors / David Ricardo

David Ricardo Quotes

Economist

David Ricardo (April 18, 1772 - September 11, 1823) was a British economist and one of the key figures in the classical school of economics. He is known for his theory of comparative advantage, which has had a profound impact on the development of economics.

Filter quotes by topic

All Values Commodity Labour Profit Ifs Produce Quantity Wages May Fall

Famous David Ricardo Quotes

“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.”

Has Beens Found Causes Cases Regard Labour Commodity Wages Variation Confined

Book:On the Principles of Political Economy, and Taxation

Source: On the Principles of Political Economy, and Taxation

“After all the fertile land in the immediate neighbourhood of the first settlers were cultivated, if capital and population increased, more food would be required, and it could only be procured from land not so advantageously situated.”

Ifs Firsts Would Be Land Population Fertile Settlers Neighbourhoods

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

“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.”

Real Reason Values Effects Produce Profit Wages Alterations Value Of Money

Book:The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

Source: The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

“The exchangeable value of all commodities rises as the difficulties of their production increase.”

Values Difficulty Increase Productions Commodity

Book:The Works of David Ricardo ...

Source: The Works of David Ricardo ...

“In the same manner if any nation wasted part of its wealth, or lost part of its trade, it could not retain the same quantity of circulating medium which it before possessed.”

Ifs Lost Nations Wealth Trade Mediums Quantity Possessed

Book:The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

Source: The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

“During the period of capital moving from one employment to another, the profits on that to which capital is flowing will be relatively high, but will continue so no longer than till the requisite capital is obtained.”

Moving Periods Moved Profit Employment Moved On

Book:The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

Source: The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

“Called an inquiry into the laws which determine the division of the produce.”

Law Produce Determine Division Inquiry

Author:David Ricardo

“It is not by the absolute quantity of produce obtained by either class, that we can correctly judge of the rate of profit, rent, and wages, but by the quantity of labour required to obtain that produce.”

Class Produce Judging Absolutes Rate Profit Labour Quantity Wages

Book:The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

Source: The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

“Profits might also increase, because improvements might take place in agriculture, or in the implements of husbandry, which would augment the produce with the same cost of production.”

Might Produce Cost Increase Profit Productions Improvement Agriculture

Book:The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

Source: The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the Author

“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.”

Country Values Amount Mass Increase Trade Enjoyment Commodity Extensions Very Powerful Foreign Trade

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

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

Business Company Economics Workers Profit Makers Farmers Wages Farming Labourers

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

“But it is clear that the price of labour has no necessary connection with the price of food, since it depends entirely on the supply of labourers compared with the demand.”

Clear Depends Demand Connections Labour Labourers

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

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

Ifs Taxes Raises Bread Beer Malt

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

“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.”

Ifs May Pieces Land Produce Farms Portions Cents Corn Manure Unproductive

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

“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.”

Home Effects Consumers Permanent Corn Bounty

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

“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.”

Fall Effects Taxes Increase Raises Profit Luxury Consumers Wages

Book:The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

Source: The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCulloch

About the Author

Born: April 18, 1772
Died: September 11, 1823
Known for: Economist
Quotes: 66

Books & Sources

The Works of David Ricardo. With a notice of the life and writings of the author: by J. R. McCullochRelated source material

On the Principles of Political Economy, and TaxationRelated source material

The Works of David Ricardo, Esq., M.P.: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the AuthorRelated source material

The Works of David Ricardo ...Related source material

The Works of David Ricardo: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the AuthorRelated source material

On the Principles of political economy and taxationRelated source material

Works and Correspondence: Letters, 1816-1818Related source material

Works: With a Notice of the Life and Writings of the AuthorRelated source material

Similar Authors

Paul FlynnBrowse related quotes
William Stanley JevonsBrowse related quotes
Joseph HumeBrowse related quotes
Jean-Baptiste SayBrowse related quotes
Adam SmithBrowse related quotes
Thomas MalthusBrowse related quotes
Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de LauneBrowse related quotes
Karl MarxBrowse related quotes
Monica BrantBrowse related quotes
Louis O. KelsoBrowse related quotes