This book presents a comprehensive account of more than 200 years of controversy on the classical theories of value and distribution. The author focuses on four, perhaps most critical classics — Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, David Ricardo’s Principles of Political Economy, Karl Marx’s Capital and Piero Sraffa’s Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities. The book highlights several significant differences in the widely celebrated theories of the four authors as it searches for the ‘classical standpoint’ that separates them from the ‘moderns’. It also challenges canonical interpretations to analyse their flaws and weaknesses, in addition to the already obvious strengths, and critically engages with the major alternative interpretations and criticisms of the theories. With a new Afterword that follows up on the debates and developments since the first edition, this book will appeal to scholars and academics of economic theory and philosophy, as well as to the general reader.

Mr Dobb examines the history of economic thought in the light of the modern controversy over capital theory and, more particularly, the appearance of Sraffa's book The Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities, which was a watershed in the critical discussions constituted a crucial turning-point in the history of economics: an estimate not unconnected with his reinterpretation of nineteenth-century economic thought as consisting of two streams or traditions commonly confused under the generic title of 'the classical tradition' against which Jevons so strongly reacted.

This book draws on the work of one of the sharpest minds of the 20th century, Piero Sraffa. Ludwig Wittgenstein credited him for 'the most consequential ideas' of the Philosophical Investigations (1953) and put him high on his short list of geniuses. Sraffa's revolutionary contribution to economics was, however, lost to the world because economists did not pay attention to the philosophical underpinnings of his economics. Based on exhaustive archival research, Sinha presents an exciting new thesis that shows how Sraffa challenged the usual mode of theorizing in terms of essential and mechanical causation and, instead, argued for a descriptive or geometrical theory based on simultaneous relations. A consequence of this approach was a complete removal of 'agent's subjectivity' and 'marginal method' or counterfactual reasoning from economic analysis – the two fundamental pillars of orthodox economic theory.

“This volume revisits the foundations of classical political economy and outlines on that basis a new research paradigm. Ajit Sinha presents an extremely ambitious and challenging work that opens new and invaluable vistas on classical economic theory and economics at large.” Roberto Scazzieri, Professor of Economic Analysis, University of Bologna and National Lincei Academy, Italy. “For a quarter of a century Ajit Sinha has worked on the classical theory of value, reinterpreting Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx in terms of his own original, and often contested, interpretation of Piero Sraffa. This fascinating volume brings together several of Sinha's most perceptive and most contentious papers. Always scholarly, stimulating and provocative, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in classical value theory.” John King, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University, Australia. This collection of essays invites the reader to trace the intellectual journey of the author from his early incisive exploration and critique of key categories in Marxian economics, through his insights into classical economic theory, culminating in his pioneering and definitive reading of the economics of Sraffa. Where the author’s position has significantly changed he provides notations and explanations, and the addition of two new chapters written especially for this volume complete the scholarly journey. Following three decades worth of study, this book brings together a set of important contributions that not only give historical perspective but makes them convenient and accessible for students and researchers today.

The papers collected in this book, first published in 1990, represent the edited proceedings of a conference held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the publication of Piero Sraffa’s Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities. In arranging the conference, and subsequently during the editing of the papers, great care has been taken to invite scholars of different schools of thought to contribute. The result of this collection of ideas has resulted in a most promising critique and provides an extensive alternative to modern Neo-Classical theory, of interest to all students of economic thought.

This book presents a substantial collection of essays from a wide range of well respected scholars addressing several aspects of Piero Sraffa’s economics in light of continuing controversies over the interpretation that should be placed on his work. It moves beyond extant scholarship with an added emphasis on the philosophical dimension of Sraffa’s seminal work, Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities. Contributors probe new ways of thinking about the political economy of Sraffa and in doing so, alongside the comments to each contribution by other scholars, provide a cutting edge debate and discussion on non-mainstream economic theory. This book will be of interest to academics and advanced graduate students in economics, with additional interest from scholars in philosophy and the methodology of science.