Event overview
This paper suggests archival elements that may explain why Marx's value theory is a decisive reference for Sraffa. Yet it also contends that the question cannot but be left open.
'Piero Sraffa is an enigma... The only book he wrote is notorious for its cryptic, compact yet suggestive language.’ (Luigi L. Pasinetti, 2005)
After the Sraffa papers (SP) became available for consultation, conflicting narratives about the making of the Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities (PCMC) materialized. One of the centres of the discussion has been if Sraffa's (1960) outline of economic theory could be considered compatible with Marx's value theory and the connected notion of exploitation.
It is uncanny that many contrasting views may seem reliable up to a point. Fierce interpretative disputes around a book which was constructed to be mysterious may probably never be sorted out. From here the ’Rashomon’s Effect’ condition of the current scholarship about Sraffa. As Robert Anderson writes, ‘[t]he Rashomon effect is not just about differences of perspective. It occurs particularly where such differences arise in combination with the absence of evidence to elevate or disqualify any version of the truth, plus the social pressure for closure on the question. ... We come to terms with these complex situations through dialogue and negotiation, through communication.’ (Anderson, 2016)
This paper suggests archival elements that may explain why Marx's value theory is a decisive reference for Sraffa. Yet it also contends that the question cannot but be left open.
Riccardo Bellofiore
Professor of Political Economy (University of Bergamo, retired)
History of Economic Thought (University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, adjunct lecturer)
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 2023 | 5:00pm - 7:00pm |
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