POLITICAL ECONOMY - David Ricardo

PREFACE PART II*

In 1815, Mr Malthus, in his 'Inquiry into the Nature and Progress of Rent,' and a Fellow of University College, Oxford, in his 'Essay on the Application of Capital to Land,' presented to the world, nearly at the same moment, the true doctrine of rent; without a knowledge of which, it is impossible to understand the effect of the progress of wealth on profits and wages, or to trace satisfactorily the influence of taxation on different classes of the community; particularly when the commodities taxed are the productions immediatly derived from the surface of the earth. Adam Smith, and the other able writhers to whom I have alluded, not having viewed correctly the principles of rent, have, it appears to me, overlooked many important truths, which can only be discovered after the subject of rent is thoroughly understood.

Vocabulary

Inquiry into the Nature and Progress of Rent - investigação sobre a natureza e o progresso do aluguel.

Fellow - companheiro

in his - em seu ( dele)

presented - apresentou

nearly at the same moment - quase ao mesmo momento

knowledge - conhecimento

To supply this deficiency, abilities are required of a far superior cast to any possessed by the writer of the following pages; yet, after having given to this subject his best consideration - after the aid which he has derived from the works of the above-mentioned eminent writers - and after the valuable experience which a few late years, abounding in facts, have yielded to the present generation - it will not, he trusts, be deemed presumptuous in him to state his opinions on the laws of profits and wages, and on the operation of taxes. If the principles which he deems correct, should to be so, it will be for others, more able than himself, to trace them to all their important consequences.

to supply this deficiency - para suprir esta deficiência

superior cast - casta superior

above-mentioned eminent writer - escritores eminentes mencionados acima

after - depois

a few late years - uns poucos anos mais tarde

yielded - rendido

The writer, in combating received opinions, has found it necessary to advert more particularly to those passages in the writings of Adam Smith from which he sees reason to differ; but he hopes it will not, on that account, be suspected that he does not, in common with all those who ackonoledge the importance of the science of Political Economy, participate in the admiration which the profound work of this celebrated author so, justly excites.

in - em

has found it necessary - achou necessário

those - aquelas

in the writings of Adam Smith - nos escritos de Adam Smith

he sees - ele vê

he hopes - ele espera

The same remark may be applied to the excellent works of M. Say, who not only was the first, or among the first, of continental writers, who justly appreciated and applied the principles of Smith, and who has done more than all other continental writers taken together, to recommend the principles of that enlightened and beneficial system to the nations of Europe; but who has succeeded in placing the science in more logical, and more instructive order; and has enriched it by several discussions, original, accurate, and profound. The respect, however, which the author entertains for the writings of this gentleman, has not prevented him from commenting with that freedom which he thinks the interests of science require, on such passages of the 'Economie Politique,' as appeared at variance with his own ideais.

remark - observação

to the excellent works - aos excelentes trabalhos

who not only was the first - quem não somente foi o primeiro

justly - corretamente, justamente

in more logical, and more instructive order - em ordem mais lógica e instrutiva

he thinks - ele pensa

Fonte: *On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation by David Ricardo, third editon 1821.

Pdf disponibilizado na internet por Batoche Books, Kitchener, 2001.