IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/35905.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

On the distribution of authorship-merits for the comparative-advantage proposition

Author

Listed:
  • Morales Meoqui, Jorge

Abstract

Due to a better understanding of the logical interrelationships between the comparative- advantage proposition, the classical rule of specialization and the proposition regarding the non- appliance of the labor theory of value in international exchanges in Ricardo’s famous numerical example in the Principles, it is now possible to arrive to a definite conclusion regarding the longstanding academic debate about the true author of the comparative-advantage proposition. Torrens is not entitled to the same amount of merit as David Ricardo with regard to the comparative-advantage proposition since he fell short of formulating a full prove of it prior to the publication of Ricardo’s Principles. In the 1815 example of English cloth being traded for Polish corn, Torrens missed to apply the classical rule of specialization for Poland. For the featured international exchange to take place, though, there has to be gains from trade for both trading partners. More importantly, Torrens also failed to recognize the crucial role of Ricardo’s insight regarding the non-appliance of the law of value in international exchanges in proving the comparative-advantage proposition. Therefore, the bulk of the authorship-merit for this proposition rightly belongs to Ricardo.

Suggested Citation

  • Morales Meoqui, Jorge, 2012. "On the distribution of authorship-merits for the comparative-advantage proposition," MPRA Paper 35905, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:35905
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35905/1/MPRA_paper_35905.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/41534/1/MPRA_paper_41534.pdf
    File Function: revised version
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/49114/1/MPRA_paper_49114.pdf
    File Function: revised version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2017. "Ricardo's Numerical Example Versus Ricardian Trade Model: a Comparison of Two Distinct Notions of Comparative Advantage," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 6(1), pages 35-55, March.
    2. Farhad Rassekh, 2015. "Comparative Advantage in Smith's "Wealth of Nations" and Ricardo's "Principles": a Brief History of its Early Development," History of Economic Ideas, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa - Roma, vol. 23(1), pages 59-76.
    3. Leonard Gomes, 1987. "Foreign Trade and the National Economy," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-08992-5, December.
    4. Gilbert Faccarello, 2015. "Comparative advantage," Post-Print halshs-01180914, HAL.
    5. Dani Rodrik, 1998. "Symposium on Globalization in Perspective: An Introduction," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 3-8, Fall.
    6. Christian Gehrke, 2015. "Ricardo's discovery of comparative advantage revisited: a critique of Ruffin's account," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 791-817, October.
    7. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2014. "Reconciling Ricardo's Comparative Advantage with Smith's Productivity Theory," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 3(2), pages 1-21, September.
    8. Smith, Adam, 1776. "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number smith1776.
    9. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2011. "Comparative Advantage and the Labor Theory of Value," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 43(4), pages 743-763, Winter.
    10. Murray C. Kemp & Masayuki Okawa, 2006. "The Torrens–Ricardo Principle of Comparative Advantage: an Extension," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(3), pages 466-477, August.
    11. Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey, 2006. "From the Corn Laws to Free Trade: Interests, Ideas, and Institutions in Historical Perspective," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262195437, April.
    12. William O. Thweatt, 1976. "James Mill and the Early Development of Comparative Advantage," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 207-234, Summer.
    13. Roy J. Ruffin, 2002. "David Ricardo's Discovery of Comparative Advantage," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 34(4), pages 727-748, Winter.
    14. Blaug,Mark, 1997. "Economic Theory in Retrospect," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521577014, October.
    15. Piero Sraffa & L. Einaudi, 1930. "An Alleged Correction of Ricardo," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 44(3), pages 539-545.
    16. Aldrich, John, 2004. "The Discovery of Comparative Advantage," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(3), pages 379-399, September.
    17. Andrea Maneschi, 1998. "Comparative Advantage in International Trade," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 856.
    18. Mill, John Stuart, 1874. "Essays on Some Unsettled Questions of Political Economy," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, edition 2, number mill1874.
    19. Morales Meoqui, Jorge & Assistant, JHET, 2020. "Overcoming Absolute And Comparative Advantage: A Reappraisal Of The Relative Cheapness Of Foreign Commodities As The Basis Of International Trade," OSF Preprints u6esg, Center for Open Science.
    20. Martin Grancay & Nora Szikorova, 2013. "History of the principle of comparative advantage revisited: what makes a satisfactory definition?," History of Economic Ideas, Fabrizio Serra Editore, Pisa - Roma, vol. 21(3), pages 43-68.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Morales Meoqui, Jorge, 2023. "The Demystification Of David Ricardo’S Famous Four Numbers," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 447-466, September.
    2. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2017. "Ricardo's Numerical Example Versus Ricardian Trade Model: a Comparison of Two Distinct Notions of Comparative Advantage," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 6(1), pages 35-55, March.
    3. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2011. "Comparative Advantage and the Labor Theory of Value," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 43(4), pages 743-763, Winter.
    4. Martin Grančay & Nóra Szikorová, 2012. "David Ricardo, Robert Torrens a autorstvo princípu komparatívnych výhod [David Ricardo, Robert Torrens and the Origins of the Principle of Comparative Advantage]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2012(3), pages 380-394.
    5. Morales Meoqui, Jorge & Assistant, JHET, 2020. "Overcoming Absolute And Comparative Advantage: A Reappraisal Of The Relative Cheapness Of Foreign Commodities As The Basis Of International Trade," OSF Preprints u6esg, Center for Open Science.
    6. Taro Hisamatsu, 2016. "Constructing a Myth that Ricardo Was the Father of the Ricardian Model of International Trade: A Reconsideration of Torrens f Principles of Comparative Advantage and Gain-from-trade," Discussion Papers 1630, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    7. repec:grz:wpaper:2014-02 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. repec:kob:wpaper:1630 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Madarász, Aladár, 2024. "Posztót borért. Töredékek egy "nem triviális, de igaz" közgazdasági doktrína történetéből [Cloth for wine. Fragments from the history of a non-trivial but true" economic doctrine]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(4), pages 379-407.
    10. Reinhard Schumacher, 2013. "Deconstructing the Theory of Comparative Advantage," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2013(2), pages 1-83, February.
    11. Jorge Morales Meoqui, 2014. "Reconciling Ricardo's Comparative Advantage with Smith's Productivity Theory," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 3(2), pages 1-21, September.
    12. Machado, Pedro S. & Trigg, Andrew B., 2021. "On absolute and comparative advantage in international trade: A Pasinetti pure labour approach," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 375-383.
    13. Parrinello, Sergio, 2022. "On Some “New” Interpretations of Ricardo’s Principle of Comparative Advantages," Centro Sraffa Working Papers CSWP60, Centro di Ricerche e Documentazione "Piero Sraffa".
    14. John E. King, 2013. "Ricardo on Trade," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 32(4), pages 462-469, December.
    15. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:2:y:2002:i:1:p:1-15 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Maneschi, Andrea, 2004. "The true meaning of David Ricardo's four magic numbers," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 433-443, March.
    17. Gabriel Felbermayr & Benjamin Jung & Wilhelm Kohler & Philipp Harms & Jakob Schwab, 2017. "Ricardo – gestern und heute," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 70(09), pages 03-18, May.
    18. M. Shahid Alam, 2016. "Commodities in Economics: Loving or Hating Complexity," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 5(1), pages 1-1, March.
    19. Robert Lepenies, 2014. "Economists as political philosophers : a critique of normative trade theory," RSCAS Working Papers 2014/11, European University Institute.
    20. Oscar Molina Tejerina & Luis Castro Peñarrieta, 2020. "Unexplained Wage Gaps in the Tradable and Nontradable Sectors: Cross-Sectional Evidence by Gender in Bolivia," Investigación & Desarrollo, Universidad Privada Boliviana, vol. 20(1), pages 5-23.
    21. Daniel M. Bernhofen, 2007. "On the Magic Behind David Ricardo's Four Mystical Numbers," Discussion Papers 07/02, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    22. Ogilvie, Sheilagh & Carus, A.W., 2014. "Institutions and Economic Growth in Historical Perspective," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 8, pages 403-513, Elsevier.
    23. Shirkosh, Mehdi, 2005. "The Case for an International Minimum Wage in the Context of Free Trade," MPRA Paper 2463, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    comparative advantage; David Ricardo; Robert Torrens; international trade theory; classical political economy; free trade;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B31 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought: Individuals - - - Individuals
    • B12 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Classical (includes Adam Smith)
    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:35905. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.