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Mathematical Vindication of Ricardo on Machinery

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  • Samuelson, Paul A

Abstract

Ricardo is shown to be right that machinery can hurt wages and reduce output. A dramatic robot example reveals Knut Wicksell's erro r in believing that Pareto optimality calls for no drop in total outp ut from a viable invention. Under Ricardo's axiom that labor supply a djusts to keep wages at the subsistence level, he can correctly deduc e on a market-clearing basis a rise in his net product (rent plus int erest), while the greater drop in population and total wages results in a reduction in his gross product (rent plus interest plus wages). Copyright 1988 by University of Chicago Press.

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  • Samuelson, Paul A, 1988. "Mathematical Vindication of Ricardo on Machinery," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(2), pages 274-282, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:v:96:y:1988:i:2:p:274-82
    DOI: 10.1086/261536
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    Cited by:

    1. Boerner, Lars & Severgnini, Battista, 2015. "Time for growth," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64495, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Mariacristina Piva & Marco Vivarelli, 2017. "The employment impact of R&D expenditures and capital formation," DISCE - Quaderni del Dipartimento di Politica Economica ispe0078, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    3. Geiger, Niels & Prettner, Klaus & Schwarzer, Johannes A., 2018. "Automatisierung, Wachstum und Ungleichheit," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 13-2018, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    4. Marco Capasso & Tania Treibich & Bart Verspagen, 2015. "The medium-term effect of R&D on firm growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 39-62, June.
    5. Meacci, Ferdinando, 2008. "Machinery Question," MPRA Paper 11696, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Freni, Giuseppe & Salvadori, Neri, 2016. "Ricardo on Machinery: A Textual Analysis," MPRA Paper 73427, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Miguel Morin, 2015. "The Labor Market Consequences of Electricity Adoption: Concrete Evidence from the Great Depression," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1554, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    8. Thomas M. Humphrey, 2004. "Ricardo versus Wicksell on job losses and technological change," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, vol. 90(Fall), pages 5-24.
    9. Andre V. Mollick & Joao R. Faria, 2010. "Capital and labor in thelong-run: evidence fromTobin's q for the US," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 11-14, January.
    10. Takashi Uchiyama, 2000. "Ricardo on machinery: a dynamic analysis," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 208-227.
    11. Piva, Mariacristina & Vivarelli, Marco, 2017. "Technological Change and Employment: Were Ricardo and Marx Right?," IZA Discussion Papers 10471, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Peter Sinclair, 2016. "Ezra Mishan, Contrarian And Sage: An Appreciation," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 61(03), pages 1-9, June.
    13. Joao Ricardo Faria & Miguel Leon-Ledesma & Adolfo Sachsida, 2006. "Population and income: Is there a puzzle?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(6), pages 909-917.

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