Some remarks on the classical theory of rent

According to Ricardo, land rent, in a capitalistic system of production, would consist of differential elements only, thus there would not be absolute rent. The present arti-cle is aimed at discussing this thesis by reconstructing the theoretical reasons leading Ricardo toward it and by showing how they have been overcome by the more solid foundations which Sraffa provided for the classical theory of distribution between wages and profits. Moreover, historical and theoretical reasons supporting the pres-ence of absolute rent, beside differential rent elements, are put on evidence.