Unto This Last

Ruskin strongly criticizes the 19th century economic orthodoxy, in particular the works of David Ricardo and John Stuart Mill. He argues that their view of economics is flawed due to an implicit assumption that wealth can only be measured in money and material goods. Any policy or set of ethics that accepts this definition of wealth therefore neglects any non-measurable kind of value. The pursuit of this kind of wealth leads people to accept (or more often ignore) human suffering as a necessary part of the economy.

Unto This Last remains a highly influential and often-criticized book. It was an inspiration to many prominent people, including Mahatma Gandhi, who published his own paraphrased Gujarati translation in 1908.

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