From Crisis Theory To History Of Economic Method:A Study Of Maurice Herbert Dobb's Economic Philosophy

This paper tries to put the interpretation of Dobb's theory as a whole,to show Dobb's contribution to Marxist economics is how to lead the economy of the 20th century philosophical method.One is a comprehensive display and summary on Dobb's crisis theory,economic history study and the history of surplus theory study.Dobb,as the Third International economists,performed to restore a historical context in the history of Marxian political economy.Furthermore,based on different domains clarify the theoretical logic and more chains of age in Dobb's study and thought.Finally,the study is to connect Dobb's three seemingly separate series,and further to understand how the significance of Marxist economics for UK was found in the 20th century,which is the contribution of Dobb for the development of Marxian economy.Then what significances are about how to develop Marxist economics and how to deconstructed contemporary problems with Marxist economics.Ironically,on the whole process of investigation,Dobb's study of political economics,economic history and the history of economic thought are actually unified as a whole whose Problematic cores are the reconstruction and requirement.First,in the debate of crisis theory,Keynesians made a potential crisis to value theory which constituted the basis of Marxist economics.Thus Dobb pay attention to the method of economic history,in order to prove the interpretation of Marxist economics.In this process,the development of economy and challenges from the "transformation problem" made the reconstruction theory of value became necessary.Then Dobb's study formed a more complex economic philosophy domain:dual problems on the interpretations of economy and the development of theory,which turns the method of "unit idea" into "ideological action".With the cooperation with Sraffa,Dobb restored the essence of economics and economic history to the study of the history of economic thought-the history of surplus theory.Dobb found the discreteness of methods in economics:one is about the profit,the other is on surplus value.Around the question of the methods in economic theory there has been in Dobb's times increasing debate.In Dobb,economic methods on the one hand is the epistemological foundation of economic thought,while the other is inside construction of theories,providing destined theoretical perspective on distinctive real economic development.It is in this sense,Dobb went to the reconstruction of Marxist economics theory of value,which would lead to the contemporary Marxist economics has important implications.