Home / Authors / William Stanley Jevons

William Stanley Jevons

William Stanley Jevons Quotes

Economist

William Stanley Jevons was a British economist born on September 1, 1835, and died on August 13, 1882. He was a pioneer in the theory of marginal utility and had a profound impact on the development of economics.

Filter quotes by topic

All Economics Science Labour Utility Men Theory Economist Facts Mathematical Mathematics May Objects Branches Calculus Economy Giving Ifs Knowledge Littles Logic

Famous William Stanley Jevons Quotes

“Labour once spent has no influence on the future value of any article; it isgone and lost for ever. In commerce bygones are forever bygones; and we are alwaysstarting clearat each moment, judging the values of things with a view to future utility.”

Moments Values Lost Views Forever Influence Judging Labour Articles Commerce Utility Bygones

Author:William Stanley Jevons

“The whole result of continued labour is not often consumed and enjoyed in a moment; the result generally lasts for a certain length of time. We must then conceive the capital as being progressively uninvested.”

Whole Moments Lasts Certain Results Enjoyed Labour Length Consumed

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“I consider that interest is determined by the increment of produce which it enables a labourer to obtain, and is altogether independent of the total return which he receives for this labour.”

Interest Produce Return Independent Determined Labour Labourers

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“There is no such thing as absolute cost of labour; it is all a matter of comparison. Every one gets the most which he can for his exertions; some can get little or nothing, because they have not sufficient strength, knowledge or ingenuity; others get much, because they have, comparatively speaking, a monopoly of certain powers.”

Littles Matter Certain Cost Absolutes Sufficient Labour Comparison Monopoly Ingenuity Exertion

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

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

Men Want Cost Ordinary Aim Labour Utility Calculus

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“Capital simply allows us to expend labour in advance.”

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“The wind, as a direct motive power, is wholly inapplicable to a system of machine labour, for during a calm season the whole business of the country would be thrown out of gear. Before the era of steam-engines, windmills were tried for draining mines; but though they were powerful machines, they were very irregular, so that in a long tract of calm weather the mines were drowned, and all the workmen thrown idle.”

Source: The coal question: an enquiry concerning the progress of the Nation, and the probable exhaustion of our coal-mines