In defence of Adam Smith's theory of value

Ajit Sinha

The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 2010, vol. 17, issue 1, 29-48

Abstract: This paper defends Adam Smith against his critics on his 'additive' theory of value as well as his theory of 'falling rate of profits'. It argues that Adam Smith did not forget the raw materials, and so forth, in his resolution of the price into wages, profits, and rent, and that the constraint binding on the total income was also taken into account by treating rent as the residual. It further argues that there is no fallacy of composition in Smith's explanation for the 'falling rate of profits'. It was explained on the basis of rising real wages and the farmers' inability to shift the burden of the rise in wages from profit to rent in the context of a growing economy.

Keywords: Adam Smith; classical economics; additive theory of value; surplus approach to economics; rent as a residual (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1080/09672560903204544

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