Joan Robinson on Marx

This paper examines Joan Robinson's writings on Marx in order, first, to elucidate the nature of her interpretation of Marx, and, secondly, to consider the significance of Marx for her own research agenda. By focusing on the topics of value theory, effective demand and accumulation, the paper argues that Robinson's numerous criticisms of Marx are best viewed as being constructive, rather than destructive. She not only drew upon Marx for inspiration, but also endeavoured to pull Marx back into a position of prominence within economics so that his contributions can be put to use by those seeking to augment our understanding of capitalism.