Re: [OPE-L] workers' consumption and capitalists' consumption

From: Ian Wright (wrighti@ACM.ORG)
Date: Tue Jun 06 2006 - 00:09:46 EDT


Hi Allin

> "Where is the labour-time that was expended in previous rounds
> on the production of capitalist consumption goods in Sraffian
> labour-value accounting?"
>
> It's in the labour-value of those consumption goods.

Not in Sraffian labour-value accounting. This is a key point.

The Sraffian labour value of any bundle of commodities, be it consumed
by capitalists or not, does not count the indirect labour that went
into the production of the capitalist consumption goods of previous
rounds.

> "Is this labour being counted or not?"
>
> It's being counted in the value of the capitalist consumption
> goods themselves.  It's not being counted in the value of the
> commodities produced "by means of" those consumption goods,
> because there are no such commodities.

I understand the point you wish to make. But you cannot have your cake
and eat it. If the indirect labour expended on capitalist consumption
goods "is not being counted in the value of commodities" then it
cannot be "counted in the value of the capitalist consumption goods
themselves".

Before tackling whether commodities are produced "by means of" the
capitalist consumption goods we both need to get clear what the
Sraffian definition of labour-value is counting and what it is not
counting. Only once we understand this can we then think about what
should and should not be counted.

Do you agree that actual labour expended on the production of
capitalist consumption goods in previous rounds is not counted in the
Sraffian formula for labour-values?

Best wishes,
-Ian.


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