[OPE-L:4430] Re: What is Volume 1 about?

From: Fred B. Moseley (fmoseley@mtholyoke.edu)
Date: Fri Nov 03 2000 - 17:13:25 EST


On Fri, 3 Nov 2000, Alejandro Ramos wrote:

> Hi Fred: 
> 
> >Therefore, the "two system" interpretation of Marx's theory - meaning that
> >Volume 1 is about labor-values only and Volume 3 is about money and prices
> >- appears to be of more recent origin.  Andrew mentions Abraham-Frois and
> >Berrebi in a late 1970s book as the first authors to present the "two
> >system" interpretation.  Actually, I think before these guys (whom I had
> >never heard of before), there were Medio (1972) and Morishima (1973) and
> >Steedman (1977, and before in articles).  And even before that Seton
> >(1957) also presented a "two-system" interpretation.  Was Seton the first,
> >or was there someone before him?
> 
> Check the 3/4 page article by H.D. Dickinson in The Economic Journal,
> December 1956. He clearly holds that values are measured in labor time and
> prices in money. 
> 
> Actually, I can post Dickinson article later on.
> 
> Alejandro Ramos


Hi Alejandro,

Thanks for your reminder of Dickenson.  I had forgotten about Dickenson
(and would appreciate it if you could post it).  Does he provide textual
evidence to support his "labor-value" interpretation of Volume 1?  Does he
cite anyone else?  

So I guess the "labor-value" interpretation of Volume 1 must have been
somehow "in the air" in the 1950s and starts to show up in the literature
with Dickenson and Seton.  I wonder how it all started.  And, even more
importantly, I wonder what textual evidence there is to support it, since
Marx is talking about money and prices and exchange from Chapter 1 on. 

Comradely,
Fred 



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