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Journal of Economic Literature Vol. 41 No. 4 2003

Sraffa, Wittgenstein, and Gramsci

Amartya Sen

Abstract

Two distinct but interrelated issues are investigated here. The first concerns Sraffa's critical role in contemporary philosophy through his pivotal influence on Wittgenstein. The intellectual origins of this profound influence can be traced to the philosophical interests of the activist political circle in Italy (clustered around the journal L'Ordine Nuovo) to which both Sraffa and Antonio Gramsci belonged. The second inquiry concerns the influence of Sraffa's philosophical views on his economics. Sraffa's economic contributions can be much better understood by paying attention to the way Sraffa changed the nature of the questions asked, rather than seeking different answers to already established questions.

DOI
10.1257/002205103771800022
Volume
41
Issue
4
Pages
1240-1255
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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