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Quote by William Stanley Jevons

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

Quote by William Stanley Jevons

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Work

The Theory of Political Economy

This book delves into the core concepts of political economy, examining economic systems, market dynamics, and the role of government in economic affairs. It is considered a seminal work in the development of economic thought. more

Author

William Stanley Jevons

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. more

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“My principal work now lies in tracing out the exact nature and conditions of utility. It seems strange indeed that economists have not bestowed more minute attention on a subject which doubtless furnishes the true key to the problems of economics.”

Problem Seems Lying Attention Minutes Conditions Subjects Strange Keys Economics Principal Economist Utility Tracing

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“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.”

Firsts Difficult Steps Arguing Magnitude

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“Ina regular and constant employment the greatest result will always be gained by such a rate as allows a workman each day,or each week at the most, to recover all fatigue and recommence with an undiminished store of energy.”

Energy Results Week Constant Rate Stores Employment Each Day Fatigue Workmen

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“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.”

Men Feels Mean Might Cutting Industry Benefits Tools Isolated Traffic Provision

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

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

Giving Would Be Needed Expectations Spades

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“Truth indeed is sacred; but, as Pilate said, "What is truth?" Show us the undoubted infallible criterion of absolute truth, and we will hold it as a sacred inviolable thing. But in the absence of that infallible criterion, we have all an equal right to grope about in our search of it, and no body and no school nor clique must be allowed to set up a standard of orthodoxy which shall bar the freedom of scientific inquiry.”

Said Shows Body School Equal Standards Absolutes Sacred Absence Bars Inquiry Criteria Orthodoxy Infallible Absolute Truth Clique

Author:William Stanley Jevons

“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.”

Men Reason Opinion Too Much Checks Protest Adam Inquiry Mills Stagnant Deference

Book:The Theory of Political Economy

Source: The Theory of Political Economy

“Our lives are awkward and fragile and we have only one thing to keep us sane: pity, and the man without pity is mad.”

Men Our Lives One Thing He Man Mad Pity Fragile Sane Awkward

Book:Lear

Source: Lear

“Art is the expression of the conviction that we can have a rational relationship with the world and each other. It isn't the faith or hope that we can, it is the demonstration that we can.”

World Art Expression Art Is Conviction Rational Demonstration

Book:Lear

Source: Lear