Sraffa in historiographical perspective: a provisional statement

Abstract

Several features of Piero Sraffa' Production of Commodities are attributed to David Ricardo by Sraffa himself and by 'neo-Ricardians' generally. I have questioned elsewhere the Sraffian understanding of Ricardo. Assuming this challenge to be justified, the question arises how Sraffa may have erred. I approach the problem by asking: (i) whether his reading can only be rationalized in post-Marxian terms; and (ii) how he arrived at his reading. I conclude that Sraffa did read Ricardo in Marxian fashion; but that all the relevant Sraffian features are to be found in Ricardo though only within a narrowly restricted range of texts.