ABSTRACT
Corollary to the importance of labor in accumulating wealth, is the necessity of maximizing its use. The importance of labor in Berkeley’s economic thought led to his expression of another mercantilist theme, the export-of-work doctrine and its stress on the exporting of labor-intensive goods and importing of land-intensive goods. The system of natural liberty found in the works of Adam Smith typifies the theory of economic policy in the classical school. For Berkeley, the harmonious resolution of individual and group conflicts in society by the legislator also depended upon a set of important conditions. There are a number of elements in Berkeley’s system which are consistent with Classical Economic Liberalism. Berkeley’s views on the primacy of conscience casts an interesting light on the role of law and the legislator in achieving the harmony of interests. Berkeley’s theoretical vision of a more liberal society is to be viewed more as a hope than a fact.
