13 KiB
--- ENTITY: stock lent at interest ---
Stock Lent at Interest
Definition
Capital that is loaned to borrowers who pay an annual rent (interest) for its use, with the expectation that the original capital will be returned in full at the end of the loan period. This form of lending creates a distinct economic relationship where the lender transfers the right to employ the capital to the borrower while maintaining ownership.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
This chapter forms the central discussion of how capital functions when transferred through lending arrangements. Smith distinguishes between productive use of borrowed capital (which generates returns sufficient to repay both principal and interest) and unproductive consumption (which leads to dissipation of capital). The analysis establishes the foundation for understanding interest rates, the monied interest, and the economic consequences of different borrowing patterns.
Economic Domain
Accumulation
--- ENTITY: monied interest ---
Monied Interest
Definition
The economic sector composed of those who lend capital at interest rather than employing it directly in trade, manufacturing, or land ownership. This interest is distinct from landed and trading/manufacturing interests because the owners of capital in this sector derive revenue without personally managing the productive use of their funds.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith introduces this concept while explaining how the quantity of stock available for lending is determined not by the amount of money in circulation but by the portion of annual produce destined for capital replacement that owners choose not to employ themselves. The monied interest represents a third economic sector alongside landed and trading/manufacturing interests.
Economic Domain
Accumulation
--- ENTITY: productive labourers ---
Productive Labourers
Definition
Workers who produce goods or services that have exchange value and can be stored or accumulated as capital. Their labour creates value that can be exchanged for other goods or services, and they are maintained by capital employed in productive enterprises.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith contrasts productive labourers with idle consumers, explaining that when borrowed capital is used productively, it maintains workers who reproduce the value of the capital with profit. This distinction is crucial for understanding when lending arrangements are economically beneficial versus when they lead to capital dissipation.
Economic Domain
Production
--- ENTITY: idle consumers ---
Idle Consumers
Definition
Individuals who consume goods and services without producing anything of exchangeable value in return. Their consumption represents a pure dissipation of capital rather than its reproduction or accumulation.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith uses this concept to illustrate the destructive use of borrowed capital when it is employed for immediate consumption rather than productive purposes. The existence of idle consumers demonstrates the economic harm that occurs when capital is lent for consumption rather than production.
Economic Domain
Consumption
--- ENTITY: prodigals ---
Prodigals
Definition
Economic actors who dissipate capital through unproductive consumption, spending borrowed funds on immediate gratification rather than employing them in ways that generate returns. They act as economic destroyers of value rather than creators.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith employs this concept to contrast with frugal and industrious borrowers, arguing that lending to prodigals is economically harmful to both parties. The prodigal represents the antithesis of sound economic behaviour in Smith's framework.
Economic Domain
Consumption
--- ENTITY: frugal and industrious borrowers ---
Frugal and Industrious Borrowers
Definition
Economic actors who borrow capital with the intention of employing it productively to generate returns that exceed the cost of borrowing. They represent the economically beneficial use of credit in Smith's analysis.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith argues that these borrowers far outnumber prodigals and that lending to them is economically beneficial for both parties. This concept helps establish the general economic benefit of interest-bearing loans when employed productively.
Economic Domain
Accumulation
--- ENTITY: country gentlemen ---
Country Gentlemen
Definition
Landowners who borrow money, typically through mortgages, not for immediate consumption but to replace capital they have already consumed through extended credit arrangements with tradesmen and shopkeepers. Their borrowing pattern represents a specific form of capital replacement rather than capital creation.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith uses this group to illustrate a particular borrowing pattern where the capital is not truly new but replaces previously consumed capital. This analysis helps explain why lending to this group, while not highly profitable, is not necessarily economically destructive.
Economic Domain
Distribution
--- ENTITY: money's worth ---
Money's Worth
Definition
The actual goods and services that money can purchase, as opposed to the money itself. This concept emphasizes that what borrowers truly need is not currency but the productive capacity and consumable goods that currency represents.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith introduces this concept to explain that loans are fundamentally about transferring access to the annual produce of land and labour, not merely transferring pieces of money. This distinction is crucial for understanding the real economic function of lending.
Economic Domain
Exchange
--- ENTITY: annual produce of land and labour ---
Annual Produce of Land and Labour
Annual Produce of Land and Labour
Definition
The total output generated each year through agricultural production and human labour. This represents the fundamental source of all economic value and the pool from which all revenues, including interest payments, must ultimately be drawn.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith uses this concept to explain how lending operates as an assignment of rights to portions of this annual produce. The size of this pool determines the total amount of capital that can be lent at interest in any economy.
Economic Domain
Production
--- ENTITY: capital replacement ---
Capital Replacement
Definition
The process by which worn-out or consumed capital goods are restored through new production, ensuring the continuation of productive capacity. This function is essential for maintaining economic output over time.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith distinguishes between capital used for replacement and capital used for expansion, arguing that the portion of annual produce destined for replacement but not employed by its owners constitutes the pool available for lending at interest.
Economic Domain
Accumulation
--- ENTITY: market price of things ---
Market Price of Things
Definition
The actual price at which goods and services exchange in the market, determined by supply and demand rather than by any intrinsic value. This price fluctuates based on the quantity of goods available relative to the money supply.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith references this concept while discussing how the quantity of money affects nominal prices but not real economic value, arguing that changes in the money supply affect prices but not the underlying productive capacity of the economy.
Economic Domain
Exchange
--- ENTITY: profits of stock ---
Profits of Stock
Definition
The returns earned by owners of capital when they employ it productively in trade, manufacturing, or agriculture. These profits represent the compensation for the risk and trouble of employing capital and tend to diminish as the quantity of capital in a country increases.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith explains that as capitals increase, profits necessarily diminish due to increased competition for profitable employment opportunities. This relationship between capital quantity and profit rates is fundamental to understanding interest rate determination.
Economic Domain
Distribution
--- ENTITY: rate of interest ---
Rate of Interest
Definition
The price paid for the use of borrowed capital, typically expressed as a percentage of the principal per year. This rate is determined by the balance between the supply of lendable capital and the demand for its use in productive enterprises.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith provides a comprehensive analysis of how interest rates are determined, arguing that they naturally fall as the quantity of capital in a country increases and profitable employment opportunities become scarcer.
Economic Domain
Distribution
--- ENTITY: legal rate of interest ---
Legal Rate of Interest
Definition
The maximum interest rate permitted by law, established to prevent usury while allowing sufficient compensation for lenders to provide credit to productive enterprises. This rate should be set slightly above the lowest market rate to balance competing economic interests.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith discusses the economic effects of legal interest rate regulation, arguing that rates set too high direct capital toward prodigals and projectors, while rates set too low drive legitimate borrowers to illegal lenders.
Economic Domain
Regulation
--- ENTITY: usury ---
Usury
Definition
The practice of charging excessively high interest rates on loans, typically beyond what is legally permitted or economically justified by the productive use of the borrowed capital.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith discusses usury in the context of legal interest rate regulation, arguing that prohibition of interest above legal rates often increases rather than decreases usurious practices by forcing legitimate transactions underground.
Economic Domain
Regulation
--- ENTITY: prodigals and projectors ---
Prodigals and Projectors
Definition
Economic actors who are willing to pay extremely high interest rates for borrowed capital. Prodigals seek funds for immediate consumption, while projectors pursue speculative ventures with uncertain returns. Both represent economically risky borrowers.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith argues that when legal interest rates are set too high, capital flows toward these risky borrowers rather than to sober, productive enterprises, thereby harming the overall economy.
Economic Domain
Distribution
--- ENTITY: sober people ---
Sober People
Definition
Economic actors who borrow capital with the intention of employing it productively and are willing to pay reasonable interest rates based on expected returns. They represent the economically beneficial use of credit.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith argues that when legal interest rates are set appropriately, capital flows toward these borrowers rather than to risky speculators, thereby benefiting the overall economy through productive investment.
Economic Domain
Accumulation
--- ENTITY: market rate of interest ---
Market Rate of Interest
Definition
The actual rate of interest determined by supply and demand in the credit market, as opposed to any legally prescribed maximum rate. This rate fluctuates based on the balance between available capital and profitable investment opportunities.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith argues that no law can reduce the common rate of interest below the lowest ordinary market rate at the time the law is made, as lenders will find ways to evade regulations that prevent them from receiving fair compensation.
Economic Domain
Distribution
--- ENTITY: ordinary market price of land ---
Ordinary Market Price of Land
Definition
The typical price at which land sells in the market, determined by the relationship between the expected income from land ownership and the returns available from lending money at interest. This price reflects the relative attractiveness of land investment versus financial investment.
Source Chapter
Book II, Chapter 4
Context
Smith explains that land prices are determined by the comparison between land rents and interest rates, with land typically commanding a premium due to its superior security but requiring a lower return than financial investments.
Economic Domain
Distribution