Another 18th century author, apart from Defoe himself, who used Robinson Crusoe as an example in the context of a specific economic theoretical discussion (the distinction between use value and exchange value) is Andre Morellet (1727-1819). The following extracts are my translations from the original French taken from a manuscript that remained unpublished (to be precise Ms. 2525 notebook E in the Bibliotheque de la Part-Dieu, Lyon, France):
'[sheet 1] The word value has two different meanings, sometimes it expresses the utility of an object for the one who possesses it, and at other times the power which the possession of that object gives to obtain in exchange other objects. One can call the first of those values use value [valeur d'utilité] and the second exchange value [valeur d'echange].
[3] [...] one can say in that sense [i.e., the sense of 'utility'] that for Robinson Crusoe on his island the tools [and] the little quantity of seed which he obtains from the ship would have a great value; and hides which are used as cloths [and] as a hut which protects a primitive family that lives in the forest without communication with any other family, are for her things which have value, much value [...] one can call that value use value and regard it as [something] absolute, not because it would not be relative to man, but because it does not imply any relation with any other thing.
[12-15] One can assume that at the origin of society everyone carried out for himself all the types of work which could supply his needs, that each family hunted, fished, cared for domestic animals, cultivated a plot of land, tanned its leather and hides, weaved some coarse cloth, made some shapeless shoes etc. In that state of things the goal of each is to supply nothing but his own [immediate] consumption and reserves, [the latter being] limited to what he could use of it and to what he could protect against the corruption of deterioration to which the majority of natural products and especially those which feed him are susceptible. As long as man with his family and every family at the beginning of society confine themselves to isolated labour limited by need [,] there cannot be any, [or] at least no regular, exchange since each has only the quantity of each thing which he needs of it either for present or future needs [soit actuellement soit pour les besoins à venir] of which he would not want to give up or exchange anything. [B]ut it will soon and naturally happen that some are devoted to one of those kinds of work and others to another [,] or at least that for each one kind has become dominant. [P]eople also soon found out that by devoting themselves exclusively to one kind of occupation each work became easier and more productive [fecond en produit]. [...] [T]hat change in the distribution of works has since then put in the hands of each a greater quantity of produce which was the particular object of his own labour [,] than he could consume or reasonably reserve for his future needs, but on the other hand he lacked all those [goods] with the growing or gathering of which he had not occupied himself and which would be in superabundance [surabondamment] in the hands of the one who had made of them the particular object of his labour and his cares. In that situation exchange is born from necessity itself where each finds himself in the situation of obtaining the thing he lacks from the one who has a quantity in excess of his own needs [une quantité surabondante à ses propres besoins] [,] each gives of what he has to much for what he lacks. voilà exchange or commerce'.
One may see parallels here with the Marx quotes reproduced by professor Salvadori.
Richard van den Berg
-----Original Message-----
From: Societies for the History of Economics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of James Forder
Sent: 28 September 2012 11:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SHOE] Robinson Crusoe Economics
I should have thought there is a good argument that the first person to
use Robinson Crusoe as a pedagogical device was Daniel Defoe. (cf
Dijkstra 'Defoe and Economics' 1987)
James Forder
Fellow and Tutor in Economics
Tutor for Graduate Admissions
Balliol College Oxford
On 27/09/2012 21:59, Robert Murphy wrote:
> Dear List,
>
> I am interested in tracking down the history of when economists began
> using Robinson Crusoe as a pedagogical device in their writings. I
> know that Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk uses him to make points about capital
> theory, but I imagine it goes back earlier than Bohm-Bawerk. Are there
> any articles detailing this? Failing that, do the people here have
> ideas for older examples of economists using Robinson Crusoe by name?
>
> Thanks,
> Bob Murphy
>
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