From: Rakesh Bhandari (bhandari@BERKELEY.EDU)
Date: Mon Apr 02 2007 - 12:05:48 EDT
To stipulate what would have to be the material interchange between the two departments to maintain a value equilibrium in simple reproduction assumes that the material characteristics of goods can be either be overlooked or shaped by the demands of value equilibrium. It assumes that the force of value equilibrium could somehow force the machines (as you have put it) to stagger their vintages such that only a few are physically used up and come up for replacement every year. It's as if the demands of value equilibrium would only allow the same small number of machines to be replaced each year. As you put it, this can only be a convenient assumption. To treat the assumption as more than that is to make value theory idealist in that it either ignores or abstracts from the material or use value characteristics of fixed capital goods. This seems to be Marx's point; his method of analysis is to consider the problems of dual proportioning of value and use value in reproduction, which means he is studying social reproduction by means of labor in both its abstract and concrete effects. The dual nature of labor is the pivot of his system. But this seems to have escaped many commentators on Marx. Rakesh
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