[OPE-L:5726] Re: why are we on this list?

From: Allin Cottrell (cottrell@wfu.edu)
Date: Fri Jun 01 2001 - 10:35:21 EDT


On Thu, 31 May 2001, Rakesh Narpat Bhandari wrote:

> >>  in my opinion this is because marxians are powerless, and find that
> >>  they have to defend themselves from charges of logical incoherence if
> >>  they are to be considered respectable.

me:

> >I don't find that very convincing.  Sraffa's critique, for instance,
> >was directed more at neoclassical economics than at Marxism, yet with
> >the exception of a few "high theorists" who strove to dispute Sraffa's
> >claims, most neoclassical economists just got on with the job
> >regardless, extending and applying.

Rakesh:

> so Allin what's your point? marxists have been forced to respond to a
> critique which does not even apply to them...

My point was just that marxists are not actually *forced* to spend all
their time responding to critique.  The example of neoclassical
economics under Sraffa's critique shows that another option is just
getting on with the job -- if there is a job to be got on with, i.e.
an active research program that is throwing up new problems, concepts
and methods.

Allin.



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