[OPE] Thermodynamics and labor theory of value

"So modern physics has shown that not only was Marx right in his basic
analysis, but he was right because his conclusions follow from the most
basic laws of physics, the laws of thermodynamics."
--Paul Cockshott, HOW PHYSICS IS VALIDATING THE LABOUR THEORY OF VALUE

I thought the argument was this: if you let/compel economic actors to
produce, buy, and sell according to certain rules -- rules of property
in capitalist societies, including the rights and duties of employees --
then prices and incomes obey equations that also describe the
temperature and such of gases.

The fact that the same equations apply to two different realms of
reality (the variables obviously standing for different things when
looking at one realm or the other) does not mean that one realm obeys
the laws of the other realm. So it seems one could as well say that
gases obey the laws of the labor theory of value.

Paul, are your title and statement quoted above just metaphorical
license, or do you mean them literally? I assume the former, and in that
case, I wonder why you find it helpful, politically or otherwise.

Charles Andrews

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Received on Wed Sep 17 14:39:40 2008