tegwick
2d1282a61e
Restructure entity storage from per-chapter subdirectories to a flat
canonical set in output/entities/. Each entity exists as a single file;
duplicates across chapters are detected by slug collision and skipped
(first occurrence wins). Chapter views use {{ include }} transclusion
to reference shared entity files.
Add @{existing_entities} macro to extract-entities template so the LLM
knows which entities already exist and focuses on genuinely new ones.
Refactor _call_llm() from _execute_llm() for callers that handle their
own file I/O. 41 unique entities from 4 chapters (2 duplicates removed).
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
1.5 KiB
Division of Labour
Definition
The separation of a work process into a number of distinct tasks, each performed by a specialised worker, resulting in a significant increase in the productive powers of labour. Smith identifies it as the principal cause of improvement in the productive capacity of any trade, art, or manufacture. The effect arises from three circumstances: increased dexterity, saved time in transition between tasks, and the invention of labour-saving machinery.
Source Chapter
Book I, Chapter 1: "Of the Division of Labour"
Context
The division of labour is the central argument of the chapter. Smith opens by asserting that it is the greatest source of improvement in productive powers, then illustrates it through the pin-factory example, explains its three causal mechanisms, and concludes by showing how it generates universal opulence through exchange.
Economic Domain
Production
Smith's Original Wording
"The greatest improvements in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgment, with which it is anywhere directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labour."
Modern Interpretation
The division of labour remains a foundational concept in economics and organisational theory. Modern extensions include specialisation theory, comparative advantage (Ricardo), and the study of transaction costs that determine the boundaries between internal division and market exchange (Coase).