David Ricardo (1772-1823) was a British political economist, born in London. Ricardo was a political contemporary of Thomas Malthus, James Mill, and Adam Smith, with the latter's The Wealth of Nations serving as a chief inspiration for his economic studies. Ricardo's legacy is the Value Theory, which he details in his book, Principles of Political Economy and Taxation. Other well-known works by Ricardo are The High Price of Bullion, a Proof of the Depreciation of Bank Notes and Essay on the Influence of a Low Price of Corn on the Profits of Stock.
