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Solving the Reswitching Paradox in the Sraffian Theory of Capital

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  • Carlo Milana

Abstract

The possibility of the reswitching of techniques in Piero Sraffa’s intersectoral model, namely the recurring capital-intensive techniques with monotonic changes in the interest rate, is traditionally considered as a paradoxical violation of the assumed convexity of technology putting at stake the viability of the neoclassical theory of production. It is argued here that this phenomenon can be rationalized within the neoclassical paradigm. Sectoral interdependencies can give rise to the well-known price Wicksell effect, which is the revaluation of capital goods due to changes in relative prices triggered by monotonic variations in income distribution. The reswitching of techniques is, therefore, the result of cost-minimizing technical choices facing returning ranks of relative input prices in full consistency with the pure marginalist theory of factor rewards. The theoretical analysis proposed in this article is applied empirically to the counterexamples of various case studies presented in the literature.

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  • Carlo Milana, 2019. "Solving the Reswitching Paradox in the Sraffian Theory of Capital," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 6(6), pages 97-125, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:rfa:aefjnl:v:6:y:2019:i:6:p:97-125
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlo Milana, 2019. "Refuting Samuelson's Capitulation on the Re-switching of Techniques in the Cambridge Capital Controversy," Papers 1912.01250, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2019.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital theory; neoclassical theory of production; real factor-price frontier; real wage-interest frontier; reswitching of techniques; reverse capital deepening; Sraffian critique of economic theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B12 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Classical (includes Adam Smith)
    • B13 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Neoclassical through 1925 (Austrian, Marshallian, Walrasian, Wicksellian)
    • B51 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Socialist; Marxian; Sraffian
    • D33 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Factor Income Distribution
    • D57 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Input-Output Tables and Analysis
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices

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