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Andrew B,
I think Marx's critique of the classical labor theory of value is based on
Aristotle's idea that a failure to distinguish among kinds of causes leads
to confusion. So you may want to designate a statue's matter as bronze or
generically as metal but in that case (unless you are specifically
concerned with some feature of the statue has in virtue of simply being
metallic) your designation will be explanatorily misleading. So I think
Marx is saying that to determine the commodity's value in terms of its
labor matter is explanatorily misleading because it is not in virtue of its
(labor) matter that commodities are puzzling. This is essentiallly Marx's
value FORM critique of Ricardo, I think. The mysteries do not derive from
matter at all but from the imposition of the commodity form on the
appropriate substance.
Yours, Rakesh
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