Progress and Poverty · Character

David Ricardo

The classical economist whose rent theory George adopts, extends, and turns into a weapon against the very system Ricardo helped justify.

supporting

Also known as Ricardo, Ricardo and McCulloch, Mr. Ricardo

First appearance: Book I: Wages and Capital

As a supporting figure in Progress and Poverty, David Ricardo is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Referenced as a key figure in the classical school whose law of rent George builds upon.

In the storyPreface to the Fourth EditionOpen this moment free

See David Ricardo in Preface to the Fourth Edition Book page

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Ricardo is the thinker George engages most intimately, accepting the law of rent but insisting its full scope has never been appreciated—that it contains, as corollaries, the laws of wages and interest. The tension is that Ricardo's own logic, pushed further, shows every laborsaving invention tends to raise rent and force down the margin of cultivation, enriching landowners at labor's expense. Ricardo matters because his theory, radicalized, becomes the engine of George's entire argument about why progress breeds poverty.

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See David Ricardo in Book I: Wages and Capital

Character Web

8 connections

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Relationship types

Professional
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Classical Economic Thinkers
Diverse Historical Influences
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

Adam Smith
professional · positive
Smith and Ricardo are linked as foundational classical economists, with Ricardo building… How this plays out →
John Stuart Mill
professional · positive
Thomas Malthus
friendship · positive
Thomas Malthus
friendship · positive
Adam Smith
professional · positive
Smith and Ricardo are linked as foundational classical economists, with Ricardo building… How this plays out →

Adam Smith
Smith and Ricardo are linked as foundational classical economists, with Ricardo building upon and sometimes revising Smith's labor theory of value.
John Stuart Mill
Ricardo and Mill are connected as successive pillars of classical economics, with Mill expanding and refining Ricardo's theories.
Thomas Malthus
Ricardo and Malthus were close personal friends and frequent correspondents, despite their significant economic disagreements.
Thomas Malthus
Ricardo and Malthus were close personal friends and frequent correspondents, despite their significant economic disagreements.
Adam Smith
Smith and Ricardo are linked as foundational classical economists, with Ricardo building upon and sometimes revising Smith's labor theory of value.

Relationship notes

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See David Ricardo in Book I: Wages and Capital

In the story

David Ricardo appears across 18 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Preface to the Fourth Edition
Referenced as a key figure in the classical school whose law of rent George builds upon.
Book I: Wages and Capital
Ricardo's theories on distribution and rent are implicitly engaged in the discussion of wages and capital.
II: The Meaning of the Terms
His definition of capital is discussed and compared with others.
Book III: The Laws of Distribution
Ricardo's law of rent is central to the analysis of distribution.
II: Rent and the Law of Rent
Recognized for first prominently bringing the law of rent into notice, though not the first to announce it.
VI: Wages and the Law of Wages
Referenced for his law of rent, of which the law of wages is a corollary.
VII: The Correlation and Coordination of These Laws
The law of rent, accepted since Ricardo's time, is foundational to the chapter's argument.
Book IV: Effect of Material Progress Upon the Distribution of Wealth
Referenced for his theory of rent and its implications for distribution.
The Dynamics of the Problem Yet to Seek
Cited for his theory that rent advances due to population increase and extension to inferior lands.
II: The Effect of Increase of Population Upon the Distribution of Wealth
His theory of rent is discussed and critiqued in relation to population growth and the margin of cultivation.
Book V: The Problem Solved
Ricardo's law of rent is foundational to the analysis, showing how rent absorbs the fruits of progress.
Book VI: The Remedy
Ricardo's law of rent is referenced as the basis for understanding how rent arises and how its appropriation can solve the distribution problem.
Insufficiency of Remedies Currently Advocated
Implied through the discussion of rent and distribution of wealth, though not directly named in the excerpts.
III: From Combinations of Workmen
Implicitly referenced through the discussion of rent and distribution, though not named directly in the excerpt.
Book VIII: Application of the Remedy
Ricardo's law of rent is referenced as the foundation for the remedy.
Endorsements and Objections
Quoted as stating that a tax on rent falls wholly on landlords and cannot be shifted.
Of the Effect Upon Individuals and Classes
Referenced implicitly through the concept of rent as the cause of poverty.
Endnotes
Referenced for his law of rent and cited in endnotes regarding land cultivation and economic principles.

Chapter companion notes

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See David Ricardo in Book I: Wages and Capital

See David Ricardo in Preface to the Fourth Edition