Re: [OPE-L] Okishio Theorem

From: Fred Moseley (fmoseley@MTHOLYOKE.EDU)
Date: Sat Nov 03 2007 - 10:29:54 EDT


Quoting Rakesh Bhandari <bhandari@BERKELEY.EDU>:

> Fred you write:
>
> "I agree that TSSI initially claimed
> to “refute the Okishio theorem on its own terms” (i.e. not that
> Okishio’s “terms” were different from Marx’s “terms”).  But in Kliman’s
> book (Chapter 7), the main argument is that the rate of profit in the
> Okishio theorem is determined in a different way from the rate of
> profit in Marx’s theory.  There is one paragraph that argues that the
> Okishio theorem “also fails on its own terms”, but this claim is
> emphasized much less than before.
>
> What I think is the contribution of the TSSI is the argument that the
> Okishio theorem is based on a different theory of the rate of profit
> than Marx’s theory."
>
> But TSSI a refutation on Okishio Theorem on its own terms--for all
> practical purposes. Okishio Theorem is according to standard
> interpretation an impossibility theorem--it's impossible for viable
> technical change in itself to depress the profit rate. TSSI did the
> impossible; it showed that viable techical change can depress the profit
> rate. But...TSSI has not demonstrated that empirically David Laibman's
> tracking theorem (the money rate of profit tracks the material rate of
> profit) will not hold in the long term. But TSSI did the impossible, and I
> can understand why they are so damn excited about it. Doing the impossible
> is a large part of what intellectual progress is, no?
>
> Rakesh


I think there is a basic confusion in Rakesh’s comments and in Alan’s
reply to Rakesh (which I am not copying here because of its length).
Rakesh states the “impossibility theorem” as:  “it’s impossible for
viable technical change in itself to depress the rate of profit”.

But WHICH rate of profit and WHICH THEORY of the rate of profit?
Whether or not this theorem is true depends on one’s theory of the rate
of profit.  It may be true for one theory of the rate of profit, but
not true for other theories of the rate of profit.

The TSSI and the Okishio theorem are based on DIFFERENT rates of
profit.  The Okishio theorem is based on linear production theory and
simultaneous determination and the TSSI is based on temporal
determination.  The Okishio theorem is true in terms of its own theory
of the rate of profit, but it is not true in terms of the temporal
theory of the rate of profit.  As Anders said in a recent post:  “The
premises of Okishio is clearly different from Marx’s.”

This “impossibility theorem” cannot be applied in blanket fashion to
all theories of the rate of profit, but only to the theory of the rate
of profit on which it is based – linear production theory.  Okishio
claimed that his theory applied to Marx’s theory, but he was wrong,
because Marx’s theory of the rate of profit is different from linear
production theory.

Even though Alan continues to claim that the TSSI has refuted the
Okishio theorem “on its own terms”, they have not done so.  They have
refuted the Okishio theorem by substituting an entirely different
theory of the rate of profit.  Which in itself is an important
contribution.  It opens the door to other interpretations of Marx’s
theory of the rate of profit besides linear production theory.  But
claiming more than that obfuscates what the real contribution of the
TSSI is.

Comradely,
Fred




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