Re: [OPE-L] productive and unproductive labour and forms of surplus value

From: Jerry Levy (jerry_levy@VERIZON.NET)
Date: Thu Jan 17 2008 - 16:56:03 EST


> > No.  You are assuming away the issue.  Just like Departments I
> > and II, Department III requires C + V for production and
> > reproduction.
> Yes, therefore production and reproduction of Dept. III cannot
> exist without the S created in Depts. I and II.


Hi Dave Z:

That's a chicken-and-egg type argument if we are assuming capitalist social relations since wage-labour employed by capital
and S wouldn't exist without capitalists who themselves require
consumption goods for their class and their class relation with workers to be reproduced.


> > The S produced in _any_ of the 3 Departments can be invested
> > in the reproduction  of commodities in _any_ of the 3
> > departments.
> This cannot be correct. S can be reinvested in additional means
> of production (Dept. I) or spent on unproductive activities
> (Dept. III), but not in wage goods (Dept. II).


No, that is not correct.  The S in Dept III can be productively invested by purchasing _more_ V in Dept. II - and thus allowing
for what Paul Z would call the accumulation of capital. All that
is required for this to happen is that there is a positive IRA.



> For Department III to have the effect you assert, there can't be
> V invested in that department and the S produced in Department
> III can't be used for investment in Departments I and II.
>> The S produced in Dept. III can't be used to invest in wage
>> goods. For V in Dept. III, the same remark as above applies.

See above.

In solidarirty, Jerry


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