The influence of political motivations on the decline of classical economics is an old debate amongst historians of economic thought. It has its roots in Karl Marx's suggestions in "Theories of Surplus Value". This book examines this question from a critical perspective.

The influence of political motivations on the decline of classical economics is an old debate amongst historians of economic thought. It has its roots in Karl Marx's suggestions in "Theories of Surplus Value". This book examines this question from a critical perspective using primary sources, the alterations of different versions of publications by contemporary authors, and private correspondence. While rejecting Marx's argument that evidence for political motivations can be found in the abandonment of the labour theory of value, the book demonstrates the impact of the role of non-scientific reasons for the abandonment of Ricardo's theory.