From: Paul Zarembka (zarembka@BUFFALO.EDU)
Date: Wed Nov 24 2004 - 13:10:46 EST
> >>> In fact, I agree with very much of what is written here - except for > some adjective which add nothing to content: insidious, for example. > But the substance is right. <<< > > Riccardo, > > What are you saying? You seem to be agreeing with him that > her critique of marginal productivity theory "certainly does not compensate > for her [...] attempt to vanquish [...] Marx by making him appear as a > proto Keynesian." This is an unbelievably narrow assessment of > the contribution of Robinson to economic theory -- especially the > _critique_ of economic theory. Just think of all of the other > contributions > that she made to theory! That she should have taken a critical standpoint > towards Marx -- something that we should _all_ do, Marxists > _especially_ -- is not cause for asserting that on balance she made > a negative contribution to thought. > > In solidarity, Jerry I agree with you, Jerry. My own exit from neoclassical economics was greatly contributed to by the Cambridge (UK) critique of neoclassical capital theory and she was of course a major part of that. Furthermore, since I knew her personally a bit and got her to the ILO in the mid-70s -- which eventually resulted in her development book which the ILO refused to publish because it was too radical, I know directly that she had a wide-ranging impact on stimulating critical economics among many economists and non-economists. Joan Robinson is DEFINITELY the kind of economist with whom we need to build alliances or we will be worth nothing except our own narcissism. Paul
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