Sat Jul 8 21:15:30 EDT 2006
As I understand it, we are seeking the usage of "factors of production" to
mean land, labor, and capital (plus possibly entrepreneurship tacked on as a
4th factor, later). Yuri Tulupenko's citation from Ripley and Dana deals
with "laborer, capitalist, merchant, and employer" - which they attribute to
Proudhon. Proudhon was known for distinguishing land from capital - Marx
attacked him for doing so. So I wonder if Ripley and Dana accurately
portrayed Proudhon. Also, "capitalist" is not the same as "capital". Also,
"employer" is one who advances capital, and should not be listed separately.
I strongly suspect, therefore, that Ripley and Dana were careless writers,
who simply used the word "factor" with no clear meaning.
Mason Gaffney