When Robertson was Keynesian and Keynes Robertsonian: a discussion between D.H.R. and J.M.K. in the early 1930s and the problems with the Monetary Circuit Theory. A note

Sergio Cesaratto (cesaratto@unisi.it)

Department of Economics University of Siena from Department of Economics, University of Siena

Abstract: Supporters of the Monetary Circuit Theory argue that workers’ or households’ savings may be used to fix firms’ losses and avoid crises. The question is reminiscent of a discussion that took place between Dennis Robertson (DHR) and Keynes on the Treatise (1930) about Keynes’s idea that workers’ savings might cover firms’ losses. In this discussion, DHR denied that savings could correspond to firms’ losses, arguing that savings do not exist independently of investment. Circuitists like Graziani seem to reiterate the Treatise’s mistake of maintaining that part of savings corresponds to firm’s losses and are lent to firms to fix those losses, while neglecting the effects of those losses on output as DHR pointed out in the early 1930s.

Keywords: Monetary circuit; Robertson; Keynes; Graziani; Treatise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B22 B50 E12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-hme, nep-hpe, nep-mac and nep-pke
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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