[OPE-L:7256] TSS

From: Rakesh Bhandari (rakeshb@stanford.edu)
Date: Fri May 24 2002 - 14:20:33 EDT


I am going to come right out and say something here. It seems to me 
that some on OPE-L would like to dismiss TSS on the grounds that 
there are not real scholars (Ajit) while others think that they are 
scholastic (Jerry). And yet others think they are  just  lunatics or 
plotters, etc.
And of the people remaining on this list, I just don't understand the 
bases of hostility. For what is TSS saying?
It seems to me that they are asking that Marxist use some tools other 
than standard Samuelson-Sraffian i/o analysis such as difference 
equations and  dynamic models.  So TSS thinks that Marx can be 
formalized in a dynamic model with money. Blaug does not even think 
Ricardo can be formalized with i/o tools.
Now unlike me, the TSS people have formal training in i/o analysis as 
well as difference equation modelling. So it is not out of ignorance 
that they recommend that we proceed as they have. But as a non 
economist I just don't see what is so unreasonable about what they 
are recommending.
I grant that I may be missing the point which may be quite obvious to 
formally trained economists who have taken time to study all these 
tools carefully. And I don't want to bring the level of the 
discussion down. But I did follow the debates between Duncan and Alan 
and between Andrew and Steven K. I think I undertood   what they were 
saying. And Steven K makes a reasonable argument that TSS results 
should be able to apply to conditions of zero rates of change--though 
I am not so convinced by this. But it is a reasonable argument.  But 
overall I really don't understand why things have got so bad.
The non economist, Rakesh



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