[OPE-L:4543] reply to Fred (3)

From: Rakesh Narpat Bhandari (rakeshb@Stanford.EDU)
Date: Mon Nov 20 2000 - 04:35:34 EST


>
>
>3.  If so, then the basic disagreement between us is how constant capital
>and variable capital are determined, right?  We have the following
>different interpretations of this crucial question:
>
>RAKESH:  C and V are determined as HYPOTHETICAL magnitudes, as the "direct
>prices" of the means of production (m Lp) and the means of subsistence (m
>Lms), respectively. 
>
>FRED:  C and V are taken as given, as the ACTUAL magnitudes of
>money-capital invested in the real capitalist economy to purchase means of
>production c and labor-power (V), respectively.

You have acutely pinpointed a real difference--thanks! I argue that 
since Marx has not logically derived the category of price of 
production in volume I, he does not assume *or allow* (generally) for 
exchange in terms of that category. So yes, I assume C and V are 
determined as the simple or direct prices of m Lp and m L ms. 
Moreover, I argue that Marx's inputs in his transformation tableaux 
have to be in the form of such simple or direct prices since he has 
not yet derived the category of the price of production.

yrs, rb



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