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...

Adam Smith justified the contemporary usury laws and was severely criticised by Bentham and most modern writers with the important exception of J.M. Keynes. We argue that pace Bentham, Smith did not intend to preclude loan financing of all 'risky' ventures and give a 'monopoly' to safe...