ABSTRACT
If one looks at Heinz Kurz's long and impressive list of scientific publications, one must conclude that this man likes to carry out research. He surely is a passionate researcher, enjoys reading and writing and delights in being engaged in academic debates, preferably in those which are the subject of controversial scientific discussions. This holds in particular with respect to his favourite field of research, the history of economic thought. Here his special focus lies on the surplus approach to production and distribution and – of course – on Sraffian economics and Piero Sraffa himself (see recently Kurz 2009a). On the other hand, since the time when I was a student of Heinz Kurz back in the early 1980s at the University of Bremen I have known Heinz as a man who enjoys life and strives for pleasure. Or, to put it bluntly: Heinz likes to be happy! 1 Therefore, if Heinz appreciates to conduct research and aims for happiness, some questions emerge straightforwardly: Is there a connection between these two? Does research work make Heinz happy? And if so, why?
