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20 - Of taxes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Knud Haakonssen
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
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Summary

There is a prevailing maxim, among some reasoners, that every new tax creates a new ability in the subject to bear it, and that each encrease of public burdens encreases proportionably the industry of the people. This maxim is of such a nature as is most likely to be abused; and is so much the more dangerous, as its truth cannot be altogether denied: but it must be owned, when kept within certain bounds, to have some foundation in reason and experience.

When a tax is laid upon commodities, which are consumed by the common people, the necessary consequence may seem to be, either that the poor must retrench something from their way of living, or raise their wages, so as to make the burden of the tax fall entirely upon the rich. But there is a third consequence, which often follows upon taxes, namely, that the poor encrease their industry, perform more work, and live as well as before, without demanding more for their labour. Where taxes are moderate, are laid on gradually, and affect not the necessaries of life, this consequence naturally follows; and it is certain, that such difficulties often serve to excite the industry of a people, and render them more opulent and laborious, than others, who enjoy the greatest advantages. For we may observe, as a parallel instance, that the most commercial nations have not always possessed the greatest extent of fertile land; but, on the contrary, that they have laboured under many natural disadvantages.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1994

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  • Of taxes
  • David Hume
  • Edited by Knud Haakonssen, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: Hume: Political Essays
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139170765.026
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  • Of taxes
  • David Hume
  • Edited by Knud Haakonssen, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: Hume: Political Essays
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139170765.026
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Of taxes
  • David Hume
  • Edited by Knud Haakonssen, Australian National University, Canberra
  • Book: Hume: Political Essays
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139170765.026
Available formats
×