David Ricardo

The value of a commodity is not determined by the quantity of labour which has been bestowed upon it, but by the quantity of labour which is necessary to its production.

The rate of profit is determined by the proportion which the whole produce of the land and labour bears to the whole capital employed in its production.

The interest of the landlord is always opposed to the interest of the capitalist.

The profits of stock are always highest where the price of corn is lowest.

The value of money is not determined by the quantity of the precious metals in a country, but by the quantity of them which is in circulation, and by the rapidity of their circulation.

The profits of stock are always lowest where the price of corn is highest.

The interest of the labourer is always to obtain the highest possible wages, and the lowest possible price for the commodities which he consumes.

The value of a commodity is not determined by the quantity of labour which has been bestowed upon it, but by the quantity of labour which is necessary to its production, under the most unfavourable circumstances.

The rate of profit is determined by the proportion which the whole produce of the land and labour bears to the whole capital employed in its production, and not by the rate of wages.

The interest of the capitalist is always to obtain the greatest possible net produce from his capital, and the lowest possible price for the commodities which he consumes.

The value of money is not determined by the quantity of the precious metals in a country, but by the quantity of them which is in circulation, and by the rapidity of their circulation, and by the confidence which is reposed in them.

The value of a commodity, or the value of any useful article, is said to be the same with its power of purchasing other things, or with the quantity of labour which it will save to the person who possesses it, or is willing to give up in exchange for it.

Gold and silver, like other commodities, have an intrinsic value, which is measured by the quantity of labour necessary to the production of them.

The exchangeable value of all commodities, whether they be manufactured, or the produce of the land, is always regulated, not by the quantity of labour necessary to produce them, but by the quantity of labour which it will enable them to command.

If the profits of agriculture had been before lower than those of manufactures, they do not continue so; they soon rise to the general level.

The interest of the landlords is always opposed to the interest of every other class in the community.

Taxes on consumption, like taxes on capital, must eventually fall on the consumer or the labourer.

The rise of wages is not necessarily accompanied by a rise in the price of commodities.

To produce 80 quarters of corn by the aid of the same capital and labour, more land would be necessary.

The comparative advantage of one country over another in the production of a commodity depends on the relative efficiency of labour.