Note 390 — Chapter I · : SISMONDI AND THE ORIGINS OF THE CRITICAL SCHOOL

The unanimity is not quite absolute, however. Ricardo in the third edition of his Principles added a chapter on machinery in which he admitted that he was mistaken in the belief that machines after a short period always proved favourable to the interests of the workers. He recognised that the worker might suffer, for though the machine increases the net product of industry it frequently diminishes the total product. He seemed to think that this might happen frequently, but in reality it is quite exceptional.