What is the motive which operates in every man's breast to counteract the impulse towards the gratification of his wants and appetites? Jean-Baptiste Say More Quotes by Jean-Baptiste Say More Quotes From Jean-Baptiste Say It is the aim of good government to stimulate production, of bad government to encourage consumption. Jean-Baptiste Say consumptionaimgovernment The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield. Jean-Baptiste Say creative-destructionyieldentrepreneur The manner in which things exist and take place, constitutes what is called the nature of things; and a careful observation of the nature of things is the sole foundation of all truth. Jean-Baptiste Say foundationnaturetruth One product is always ultimately bought with another, even when paid for in the first instance with money. Jean-Baptiste Say instancepaidfirsts Every individual, from the common mechanic, that works in wood or clay, to the prime minister that regulates with the dash of his pen the agriculture, the breeding of cattle, the mining, or the commerce of a nation, will perform his business the better, the better he understands the nature of things,and the more his understanding is enlightened. Jean-Baptiste Say agriculturewoodsunderstanding I have made no distinction between the circulation of goods and of money, because there really is none. Jean-Baptiste Say goodsdistinctionmade Supply creates its own demand. Jean-Baptiste Say supply-and-demandeconomicsdemand Demand and supply are the opposite extremes of the beam, whence depend the scales of dearness and cheapness; the price is the point of equilibrium, where the momentum of the one ceases, and that of the other begins. Jean-Baptiste Say momentumdemandopposites Nothing is more dangerous in practice, than an obstinate, unbending adherence to a system, particularly in its application to the wants and errors of mankind. Jean-Baptiste Say errorspracticewant And let no government imagine, that, to strip them of the power of defrauding their subjects, is to deprive them of a valuable privilege. A system of swindling can never be long lived, and must infallibly in the end produce much more loss than profit. Jean-Baptiste Say governmentlosslong The difficulty lies, not in finding a producer, but in finding a consumer. Jean-Baptiste Say difficultyproducerslying Alas, how many have been persecuted for the wrong of having been right? Jean-Baptiste Say alaspersecutedwisdom All travellers agree that protestant are both richer and more populous than catholic countries;and the reason is, because the habits of the former are more conducive to production. Jean-Baptiste Say catholicreasoncountry Taxation being a burthen, must needs weigh lightest on each individual, when it bears upon all alike. Jean-Baptiste Say taxationbearsneeds Capital in the hands of a national government forms a part of the gross national capital. Jean-Baptiste Say formgovernmenthands Dominion by land or sea will appear equally destitute of attraction, when it comes to be generally understood, that all its advantages rest with the rulers, and that the subjects at large derive no benefit whatever. Jean-Baptiste Say dominionlandsea regulation is useful and proper, when aimed at the prevention of fraud or contrivance, manifestly injurious to other kinds of production, or to the public safety, and not at prescribing the nature of the products and the methods of fabrication. Jean-Baptiste Say preventionregulationsafety Opulent, civilized, and industrious nations, are greater consumers than poor ones, because they are infinitely greater producers. Jean-Baptiste Say consumerspoorproducers All those who, since Adam Smith, have turned their attention to Political Economy, agree that in reality we do not buy articles of consumption with money, the circulating medium with which we pay for them. We must in the first instance have bought this money itself by the sale of our produce. Jean-Baptiste Say politicalwisdomreality When war becomes a trade, it benefits, like all other trades, from the division of labour. Jean-Baptiste Say divisionbenefitswar
