Sraffa: Logical economic and mathematics

Abstract

This article try to demonstrate that there is two ways in the use of mathematics in the history of economic analysis: the first is by the way of Ricardo and Marshall, who for the mathematics is only a guide to avoid the error in the logical economic from the hypothesis to the conclusions; the second is the way of Quesnay (the physiocrats), Marx, Walras, Leontief, who for the reality is the all (in the all is the truth, Hegel dixit) and the economic models they must to be an image, maybe vague, but as picture of the all. Sraffa open a new method, bringing to economic analysis the better from both.