Competition Value And Distribution In Classical Economics

Drawing in particular on the work of Sraffa, Smith, Ricardo and Marx, the essays in this volume explore the characteristic features of the Classical economists’ approach to economic problems, and the renewal of interest in that approach in modern times. In recent years, new material has been made available on both Sraffa and Marx which have made new insights and interpretations possible. The release of Sraffa’s hitherto unpublished papers and correspondence has led to reconsideration of doctrinal questions such as to what extent Sraffa built upon, or deviated from the analyses of Adam Smith, David Ricardo and other representatives of the classical British school and Karl Marx. A major theme is also to what extent we can today, equipped with Sraffa's insights and analytical tools, re-interpret and develop ideas of classical authors, which they could present only in primitive forms, on technological progress, exhaustible resources and other contemporary issues. On Marx, the publication of the MEGA2 edition of the works, papers and correspondence of Marx and Engels also gives rise to a reconsideration of this relationship, given Marx's disenchantment with some of his own work and return to ideas advocated by Ricardo, especially as regards the long-term tendency of the rate of profits. Finally, the classical notion of competition and monopoly deserve to be scrutinized carefully again and frequent misinterpretations in the literature refuted. This volume is vital reading for scholars of classical economics, Marx and Sraffa, and the history of economic thought more broadly. It also deals with issues in the areas of machinery and technical progress, joint production, and economic development and growth.

The essays in this volume, first published in 1989, seek to re-examine an important area of economic theory: value and distribution. In a sustained and analytical critique, two principle methodological approaches are compared and distinguished: the Classical or ‘surplus-based’ theories and the demand-and-supply-based equilibrium (DSE) theories. Although the essays are primarily concerned with value and distribution, the critique necessarily extends to the theory of output and employment, and in general, to the theory of trade and accumulation. The book will be an invaluable reader for students of economic thought, capital theory and Marxian political economy.

Providing a contemporary overview of the debate amongst theoretical stands in economics, this book brings together contributions from a number of eminent scholars. It covers important issues in methodology and the history of thought, as well as economic analysis. The book is structured in five parts which: focus on the relevance of the history of economic ideas for current economic analysis centre on the role of classical theory of value and distribution contrast the equilibrium approach with an out-of-equilibrium perspective offer an evaluation of the legacy of Keynes in the light of the recent development of macroeconomics is dedicated to the issue of how institutions ought to be embedded in current economic theorising. Providing up-to-date, fresh and detailed perspectives on economic theory, this book will prove invaluable for students and academics in the fields of the history of economics, and contemporary economic theory.

This new volume explores two alternative economic theories – the classical theory and the marginalist or neoclassical theory- through a discussion between two eminent economists, Pierangelo Garegnani and Paul Samuelson. The key themes of the volume are the difference in approaches to the explanation of the distribution of income and relative prices, and therefore different approaches to all other economic problems, in particular capital accumulation and economic growth. The book discusses whether there is a ‘classical’ approach to the theory of value and distribution at the core of economic theory that is fundamentally different from the later marginalist or neoclassical theory. In the volume, the late Pierangelo Garegnani argues for the validity of Piero Sraffa’s position on this issue, whilst the late noble laureate Paul Samuelson vehemently contests it. At a time of economic crisis, the future of the discipline is far from certain, and so it is extremely important to bring these debates back into the light, by reproducing them together for the first time. A comprehensive introduction by Heinz Kurz sets the debate in this context, and provides crucial background to the arguments.

This book looks at the value and distribution debates on the theories of Adam Smith. A variety of the aspects of his work are covered in this book such as his labour command measure, as are a number of interpretations and criticisms.

First Published in 2007. This book is the third volume of previously published essays from Heinz D. Kurz and Neri Salvadori, following Understanding Classical Economics (1998) and Classical Economics and Modern Theory (2003), both published by Routledge. This new collection can be read in isolation but perhaps more fruitfully in conjunction with the previous texts, providing modern interpretations of the classical economists and comparing their analyses with that of contemporary mainstream economics. The essays in the new volume are split between three parts, the first section dealing with classical economics and modern theory focusing specifically on the differences in the analytical structure and content of the theory of value and distribution of Ricardo, on the one hand, and Say and Walras, on the other. The second part is devoted to Piero Sraffa’s contribution, drawing from his hitherto unpublished papers. The final part assesses linear theory of production, concentrating on comparative studies of the contributions of von Neumann, Arrow-Debreu, Georgescu-Roegen and Sraffa. This new volume will be of interest to economic theorists and methodologists in Europe, Asia and America and particularly academics and researchers engaged with theories of production, value, distribution, economic growth and the history of economic thought.

Examines the origin and early development of the classical theory of distribution up to 1767, stressing the concept of economic `surplus' as a key determinant of economic phenomena.

This book promotes an in-depth understanding of the key mechanisms that govern the functioning of capitalist economies, pursuing a Classical Political Economics approach to do so. It explores central theoretical issues addressed by the classical economists Smith and Ricardo, as well as Marx, while also operationalizing more recent theoretical developments inspired by the works of Sraffa and other modern classical economists, using actual data from major economies. On the basis of this approach, the book subsequently provides alternative explanations for various microeconomic issues such as the determination of equilibrium prices and their movement induced by changes in income distribution; the dynamics of competition of firms within and between industries; the law of tendential equalization of interindustry profit rates; and international exchanges and transfers of value; as well as macroeconomic issues concerning capital accumulation and cyclical economic growth. Given its scope, the book will benefit all researchers, students, and policymakers seeking new explanations for observed phenomena and interested in the mechanisms that give rise to surface economic categories, such as prices, profits, the unemployment rate, interest rates, and long economic cycles.