Earnings are the value of labour.
Quote
Earnings are the value of labour.
Arabic original
الكسب هو قيمة الأعمال.
What it means
Ibn Khaldun connects income with human activity producing goods or services. The sentence introduces a discussion of livelihood; taken alone, it should not be treated as a complete modern economic theory.
The story behind this quote
The formula is part of the heading of the first chapter in the fifth section of the Muqaddimah, which discusses livelihood, earning and crafts.
The setting is crafts and livelihood: the formula belongs to a heading rather than an isolated aphorism written for separate circulation. Keeping that setting in view restores a concrete question in the book, concerning the connection between activity, production and the resources needed for living.
The source
المقدمة, الكتاب الأول، الباب الخامس في المعاش، عنوان الفصل الأول, 1377
The text appears in the indicated source. A traditional attribution remains distinct from proof of authorship: see the context.
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Author
Ibn Khaldun
Born in Tunis, Ibn Khaldun wrote the Muqaddimah (1377), an introduction to universal history that analyses the rise and fall of states. He is regarded as a forerunner of sociology.
Quotes by Ibn Khaldun