Re: [OPE] Diversity and Unity

wpc@dcs.gla.ac.uk

This relates to some long standing debates on OPE and   in political 
economy generally.
The third volume of Capital argues that competition and the flow of 
capitals will lead to
the formation of a general rate of profit which will be the same in all 
industries. This
in turn will lead to significant deviations of prices from labour 
values, since otherwise
industries with low organic composition of capital would earn higher 
profits, contradicting
the assumption of a general rate of profit.

I mentioned this example as it is one that Dave has done a lot of 
empirical research on. Dave's
researches indicate that, contrary to the assumption of a general rate 
of profit, there is
accross all the countries he has studied a systematic tendancy for 
industries with low
organic compositions of capital ( high labour to constant capital ratios 
) to earn high
rates of profit. This is thus a case of a particular hypothesis used by 
Marx ( and also by
the classical economists ) being refuted by empirical data.

dogangoecmen@aol.com wrote:
> May I ask you to explain please.
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung-----
> Von: Paul Cockshott <wpc@dcs.gla.ac.uk>
> An: Outline on Political Economy mailing list <ope@lists.csuchico.edu>
> Verschickt: Do., 10. Apr. 2008, 10:49
> Thema: Re: [OPE] Diversity and Unity
>
> > 
> > "Also I'd like to know, is it conceivable that Marx was wrong about 
> > certain theories?" 
> > 
> > This is a hypothetical question. Please make explicit what you mean. 
> A specific example would be the theory of prices of production, or 
> more specifically the idea that the rate of profit is statistically 
> independent of the organic composition of capital, which is what 
> underlies the theory of prices of production. 
> > 
> > "And how would you go about to test it?" 
> > 
> > Test? It is practice, experiments and as such history. > 
> > 
> > -----Ursprüngliche Mitteilung----- 
> > Von: Dave Zachariah <davez@kth.se <mailto:davez@kth.se>> 
> > An: Outline on Political Economy mailing list 
> <ope@lists.csuchico.edu <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu>> 
> > Verschickt: Di., 8. Apr. 2008, 18:50 
> > Thema: Re: [OPE] Diversity and Unity 
> > 
> > on 2008-04-08 18:28 dogangoecmen@aol.com 
> <mailto:dogangoecmen@aol.com> <mailto:dogangoecmen@aol.com 
> <mailto:dogangoecmen@aol.com?>> > wrote: > > Be honest and reply to my 
> post if you want to. Do not ascribe to > > people positions that are 
> not theirs. > > Sorry Dogan, this was not the intention. What I was 
> reacting to was > your statement: > > > I rather think with Hegel that 
> any approach > > > > that does not see unity in diversity tends to be 
> dogmatic. > > Being non-dogmatic is being prepared to abandon ones 
> ideas in the face > of new evidence. > > But what I'd like to know is 
> what science explicitly mentions the > concept "unity in diversity"? 
> And which do not? Is it necessary for > successful sciences? > > Also 
> I'd like to know, is it conceivable that Marx was wrong about > 
> certain theories? And how would you go about to test it? > > //Dave Z 
> > _______________________________________________ > ope mailing list > 
> ope@lists.csuchico.edu <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu> 
> <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu?>> > 
> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope > 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
> > Bei AOL gibt's jetzt kostenlos eMail für alle! Was es sonst noch > 
> umsonst bei AOL gibt, finden Sie hier heraus *AOL.de* 
> <http://www.aol.de>. 
> > 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________ 
> > ope mailing list 
> > ope@lists.csuchico.edu <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu> 
> > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope 
> >
> _______________________________________________
>
> ope mailing list
>
> ope@lists.csuchico.edu <mailto:ope@lists.csuchico.edu>
>
> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Bei AOL gibt's jetzt kostenlos eMail für alle! Was es sonst noch 
> umsonst bei AOL gibt, finden Sie hier heraus *AOL.de* <http://www.aol.de>.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> ope mailing list
> ope@lists.csuchico.edu
> https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
>   

_______________________________________________
ope mailing list
ope@lists.csuchico.edu
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope