The so-called Ricardian model of contemporary economic textbooks differs significantly from the famous numerical example included in chapter seven of the Principles. The difference is not merely with respect to the definition of the four numbers, but also in terms of underlying proposition,...

Ricardo essentially adhered to the logic of trade that Smith formulated in the Wealth of Nations. The contrary notion that they had opposing logics of trade is the result of an inaccurate interpretation of Ricardo’s numerical demonstration of the comparative-advantage proposition in chapter...