IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ums/papers/2004-09.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Mythical Ages and Methodological Strictures - Joan Robinson's Contributions to the Theory of Economic Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Skott

    (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Abstract

This paper considers some methodological aspects of Joan Robinson's contribution to post-Keynesian growth theory. Joan Robinson's criticisms of equilibrium analysis, of the conflation of logical and historical time and of the uses (and misuses) of mathematical formalisation are scathing. But while many of her points are well taken, parts of her argument appear questionable. As a result, her methodological critique of equilibrium economics may be misleading. Moreover, she failed to appreciate the potential gains from mathematical formalisation. The further development of a Robinsonian analysis of economic growth calls for a reconsideration of these aspects of her legacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Skott, 2004. "Mythical Ages and Methodological Strictures - Joan Robinson's Contributions to the Theory of Economic Growth," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2004-09, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ums:papers:2004-09
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.umass.edu/economics/publications/2004-09.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tobin, James, 1975. "Keynesian Models of Recession and Depression," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(2), pages 195-202, May.
    2. Chiarella,Carl & Flaschel,Peter, 2011. "The Dynamics of Keynesian Monetary Growth," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521180184.
    3. Gram, Harvey & Walsh, Vivian, 1983. "Joan Robinson's Economics in Retrospect," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 518-550, June.
    4. Bliss, C. J., 1975. "Capital Theory and the Distribution of Income," Elsevier Monographs, Elsevier, edition 1, number 9780720436044 edited by Bliss, C. J..
    5. Avi J. Cohen, 1993. "Does Joan Robinson's Critique of Equilibrium Entail Theoretical Nihilism?," Chapters, in: Gary Mongiovi & Christof Rühl (ed.), MACROECONOMIC THEORY, chapter 13, pages 222-240, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Peter Flaschel & Peter Skott, 2006. "Steindlian Models Of Growth And Stagnation," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 303-338, July.
    7. Kaldor, Nicholas, 1972. "The Irrelevance of Equilibrium Economics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 82(328), pages 1237-1255, December.
    8. Philip Arestis & Malcolm Sawyer, 1992. "A Biographical Dictionary of Dissenting Economists," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 20.
    9. Skott,Peter, 2008. "Conflict and Effective Demand in Economic Growth," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521066310.
    10. Amitava Krishna Dutt, 1986. "Wage Rigidity and Unemployment: The Simple Diagrammatics of Two Views," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(2), pages 279-290, December.
    11. Peter Flaschel & Reiner Franke, 2000. "An Old-Keynesian Note on Destabilizing Price Flexibility," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 273-283.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Daniyal Khan, 2015. "On Joan Robinson’s Abandonment of Exploitation," Working Papers 1515, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Murakami, Hiroki & Asada, Toichiro, 2018. "Inflation-deflation expectations and economic stability in a Kaleckian system," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 183-201.
    2. Amitava Krishna Dutt & Peter Skott, 2006. "Keynesian Theory and the AD-AS Framework: A Reconsideration," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Quantitative and Empirical Analysis of Nonlinear Dynamic Macromodels, pages 149-172, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    3. Peter Skott & Júlio Fernando Costa Santos & José Luís da Costa Oreiro, 2022. "Supermultipliers, ‘endogenous autonomous demand’ and functional finance," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 220-244, February.
    4. Hiroki Murakami, 2016. "Alternative monetary policies and economic stability in a medium-term Keynesian model," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 323-362, December.
    5. Daniele Tavani & Luca Zamparelli, 2017. "Endogenous Technical Change In Alternative Theories Of Growth And Distribution," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 1272-1303, December.
    6. Peter Skott, 2012. "Theoretical And Empirical Shortcomings Of The Kaleckian Investment Function," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 109-138, February.
    7. Béraud, Alain, 2003. "Keynes et Pigou sur le salaire monétaire et l’emploi : une synthèse du débat," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 79(1), pages 147-162, Mars-Juin.
    8. Nakatani, Takeshi & Skott, Peter, 2007. "Japanese growth and stagnation: A Keynesian perspective," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 306-332, September.
    9. Matthieu Charpe & Peter Flaschel & Hans-Martin Krolzig & Christian Proaño & Willi Semmler & Daniele Tavani, 2015. "Credit-driven investment, heterogeneous labor markets and macroeconomic dynamics," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 10(1), pages 163-181, April.
    10. Marc Lavoie & Wynne Godley, 2000. "Kaleckian Models of Growth in a Stock-Flow Monetary Framework: A Neo-Kaldorian Model," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_302, Levy Economics Institute.
    11. Soon Ryoo & Peter Skott, 2008. "Financialization in Kaleckian Economies with and without Labor Constraints," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 5(2), pages 357-386.
    12. Rada, Codrina & Tavani, Daniele & von Arnim, Rudiger & Zamparelli, Luca, 2023. "Classical and Keynesian models of inequality and stagnation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 442-461.
    13. Peter Spahn, 2007. "Real Interest Rates, Intertemporal Prices and Macroeconomic Stabilization A Journey Through the History of Economic Thought," Diskussionspapiere aus dem Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Hohenheim 292/2007, Department of Economics, University of Hohenheim, Germany.
    14. Stamegna, Marco, 2022. "A Kaleckian growth model of secular stagnation with induced innovation," MPRA Paper 113794, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Peter Skott, 2018. "Challenges for post-Keynesian macroeconomics," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2018-03, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    16. Peter Skott, 2019. "Autonomous demand, Harrodian instability and the supply side," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(2), pages 233-246, May.
    17. Asada, Toichiro & Chen, Pu & Chiarella, Carl & Flaschel, Peter, 2006. "Keynesian dynamics and the wage-price spiral: A baseline disequilibrium model," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 90-130, March.
    18. Claudio Dos Santos, 2004. "Keynesian Theorizing During Hard Times: SStock-Flow Consistent Models as an Unexplored 'Frontier' of Keynesian Macroeconomics'," Macroeconomics 0405023, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Hiroki Murakami, 2019. "A note on the “unique” business cycle in the Keynesian theory," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 384-404, July.
    20. Toichiro Asada & Peter Flaschel & Peter Skott, 2006. "Prosperity and Stagnation in Capitalist Economies," Contributions to Economic Analysis, in: Quantitative and Empirical Analysis of Nonlinear Dynamic Macromodels, pages 415-450, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Joan Robinson; equilibrium; stability; historical time;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B31 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought: Individuals - - - Individuals
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ums:papers:2004-09. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Daniele Girardi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deumaus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.