Circles Quote by Jean-Baptiste Say
“Wherefore it is impossible to succeed in comparing wealth of different eras or different nations. This, in political economy, like squaring the circle in mathematics, is impracticable, for want of a common mean or measure to go by.”
About This Quote
Source Book: A Treatise on Political Economy, 1803
Comparing wealth across eras or nations lacks a common metric, making such comparisons impractical.
In simple terms: No universal measure for wealth comparison.
Recognize limits of cross‑era wealth analysis.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- historical research
- international finance
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What proxies can we use?
- How does context affect wealth perception?
Alternative indices may still be imperfect.