In economics, factors of production, resources, or inputs are what is used in the production process to produce output—that is, goods and services. The utilized amounts of the various inputs determine the quantity of output according to the relationship called the production function. There are four basic resources or factors of production: land, labour, capital and entrepreneur. The factors are also frequently labeled "producer goods or services" to distinguish them from the goods or services purchased by consumers, which are frequently labeled "consumer goods".
An advertisement for labor from Sabah and Sarawak seen in Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
Economics is a social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
A 1638 painting of a French seaport during the heyday of mercantilism
The publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations in 1776 is considered to be the first formalisation of economic thought.
The Marxist critique of political economy comes from the work of German philosopher Karl Marx.
John Maynard Keynes was a key theorist in economics.