Productive and Unproductive Labour

Productive and unproductive labour were concepts used in classical political economy mainly in the 18th and 19th century, which survive today to some extent in modern management discussions, economic sociology and Marxist or Marxian economic analysis. The concepts strongly influenced the construction of national accounts in the Soviet Union and other Soviet-type societies (see Material Product System).

Read more about Productive And Unproductive Labour:  Classical Political Economy, A Quote From Adam Smith, Neoclassical Economics, National Accounts, Marx's Critique, Productive Labour As Misfortune?, Ecological Critique, Material Product Accounts in Soviet-type Societies

Famous quotes containing the words productive and, productive and/or labour:

    This [new] period of parenting is an intense one. Never will we know such responsibility, such productive and hard work, such potential for isolation in the caretaking role and such intimacy and close involvement in the growth and development of another human being.
    —Joan Sheingold Ditzion and Dennie Palmer (20th century)

    It was not sufficient for the disquiet of our minds that we disputed at the end of seventeen hundred years upon the articles of our own religion, but we must likewise introduce into our quarrels those of the Chinese. This dispute, however, was not productive of any great disturbances, but it served more than any other to characterize that busy, contentious, and jarring spirit which prevails in our climates.
    Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)

    The habits of our whole species fall into three great classes—useful labour, useless labour, and idleness. Of these the first only is meritorious; and to it all the products of labor rightfully belong; but the two latter, while they exist, are heavy pensioners upon the first, robbing it of a large portion of its just rights. The only remedy for this is to, as far as possible, drive useless labour and idleness out of existence.
    Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)