Differential and absolute land rent

This article discusses the evolution and usefulness of concepts of land rent in Classical Political Economy, It is argued that the theory of differential rent (especially in its Ricardian elaboration) is adequate to cover explanations of land rent in purely capitalist agriculture. The Marxist concept of absolute rent races a number of difficulties with respect to pure agrarian capitalism. It is more useful in analysing agricultures in the process of transition to capitalism or where capitalist cultivation for profit co‐exists with peasant cultivation for survival.