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Purpose and benefits

David Ricardo (1772–1823) is one of the most important theorists in the history of political economy. "The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation" is one of the cornerstones of the classical approach to the subject. His ideas, especially the theory of comparative cost advantage, formed the basis for the discussion of free trade and protective tariffs throughout the 19th century. His work forms a bridge between that of Adam Smith, who was Ricardo’s immediate inspiration, and that of Karl Marx. The book is still acknowledged as a masterpiece today for its isolation and abstraction of basic principles, its synthesis, and its logic.