Re: [OPE-L] questions on the interpretation of labour values

From: Paul Cockshott (wpc@DCS.GLA.AC.UK)
Date: Wed Mar 21 2007 - 06:54:10 EDT 

The problems are terminological.

There is a confusion possible between 'money constant capital' and
'money capital'.
I have no problem with your measuring constant capital in money terms,
since as 
Sraffa, Shaikh and Machover all point out, a large collection of
disparate 
commodities that make up constant capital are unlikely to have a price
of
production significantly different from their values, as such it is 
fairly valid to translate these to values just using a MELT.

The point is that at time Ian seems to be talking as if he means money
capital
in the discussion where you mean the money value of constant capital. 

-----Original Message-----
From: OPE-L [mailto:OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU] On Behalf Of Pen-L Fred
Moseley
Sent: 21 March 2007 03:37
To: OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU
Subject: Re: [OPE-L] questions on the interpretation of labour values

Hi Allin and Paul C.,

Thanks for your comments.  Let me try to clarify.

1.  M  =  C + V.  Let's just consider C, which seems to be the more
controversial.

2.  C can be considered either as a flow or as a stock.  As a flow, it
is the first component of the price of the output.  And as a stock, it
is in the denominator of the rate of profit (along with the stock of
variable capital, which is generally negligible).

3.  Consider first the stock of constant capital.  Capitalist firms
invest a certain quantity of money constant capital to purchase means
of production (both machinery, etc. and raw materials).  These
quantities of money capital invested are recorded on the balance sheets
of the firms.  At a given point in time, these quantities of money
constant capital on the balance sheets of individual firms could be
added up to obtain the total stock of money constant capital for the
economy as a whole.

My interpretation is that this total stock of money constant capital
for the economy as a whole is taken as given in the determination of
the rate of profit in Marx's theory.

4.  Similarly, the flow of constant capital is the price of the raw
materials consumed in this period's production plus the periodic
depreciation cost of the machines, etc.  These quantities of money
constant capital are recorded on the income statements of firms.  These
quantities of money constant capital on the income statements of
individual firms over a certain period of time could be added up to
obtain the total flow of money constant capital for the economy as a
whole for this period.

Again, my interpretation is that this total flow of money constant
capital for the economy as a whole is taken as given in Marx's theory,
and becomes the first component of the total price of commodities in
the economy as a whole.

Do you still think that there are problems with this?

Comradely,
Fred



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