The Scope and Method of Political Economy |
Contents
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Common terms and phrases
abstract Adam Smith applied art of political average Cairnes cerned chapter character Cliffe Leslie common Compare competition conclusions concrete connexion consideration constitute deductive method deductive reasoning definition desire determine discussion distinct distribution of wealth economic activities economic doctrines economic enquiry economic facts economic history economic laws economic phenomena economic science economic theory economists effects ethical example exchange exchange-value exerted given historical human hypothetical ignoratio elenchi importance individual inductive industrial influence instance investigation J. S. Mill James Mill Jevons kind knowledge labour laisser faire logical mathematical ment method of difference Mill moral motives nature nomic normative science observation operation particular physical political economy positive science possible practical precepts premisses Principles of Political problems Professor purely question reasoning recognise regard relation says scientific sense shew Sidgwick social society statistics taxation term theoretical tical tion trade true truth wages writers
Popular passages
Page 277 - The laws and conditions of the Production of wealth partake of the character of physical truths. There is nothing optional or arbitrary in them.
Page 36 - The distribution of wealth, therefore, depends on the laws and customs of society. The rules by which it is determined, are what the opinions and feelings of the ruling portion of the community make them, and are very different in different ages and countries; and might be still more different, if mankind so chose.
Page 107 - It makes entire abstraction of every other human passion or motive; except those which may be regarded as perpetually antagonizing principles to the desire of wealth, namely, aversion to labour, and desire of the present enjoyment of costly indulgences.
Page 275 - Mr. Ricardo had deduced a priori from the understanding itself laws which first gave a ray of light into the unwieldy chaos of materials, and had constructed what had been but a collection of tentative discussions into a science of regular proportions, now first standing on an eternal basis.
Page 130 - ... the proximate cause of every state of society is the state of society immediately preceding it. The fundamental problem, therefore, of the social science, is to find the laws according to which any state of society produces the state which succeeds it and takes its place.
Page 65 - But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments ; of the most free, as well as of the most despotical.
Page 273 - It is not to be understood that the natural price of labour, estimated even in food and necessaries, is absolutely fixed and constant. It varies at different times in the same country, and very materially differs in different countries*. It essentially depends on the habits and customs of the people.
Page 264 - ... the most reckless and treacherous of all theorists is he who professes to let facts and figures speak for themselves, who keeps in the back-ground the part he has played, perhaps unconsciously, in selecting and grouping them, and in suggesting the argument post hoc ergo propter hoc.
Page 64 - Only let us remember that it is a practical rule, and not a doctrine of science; a rule in the main sound, but like most other sound practical rules, liable to numerous exceptions; above all, a rule which must never for a moment be allowed to stand in the way of the candid consideration of any promising proposal of social or industrial reform.
Page 9 - Countries, in the cases for instance of slavery, legal monopolies, or poor laws, the natural state of things can be laid down as the general rule, and the anomalies produced by particular disturbing causes can be afterwards accounted for.