Re: [OPE] Odyssey and the Peruvian treasure

From: Dave Zachariah <davez@kth.se>
Date: Tue Feb 17 2009 - 08:06:17 EST

2009/2/17 GERALD LEVY <gerald_a_levy@msn.com>

>
> I would expect nothing less from someone who believes that the ultimate
> origin of value is natural and that value existed in both the ancient Inca
> and Aztec empires.
> It is gibberish to you because you refer to value in a simpler and more
> trans-historical sense
> (the process of 'valuing') rather than expressing a set of specific social
> relations (of production).
>

Jerry, it is not that labour-value is natural or eternal or that serves in
an underlying organising principle of all societies.

As I wrote previously:

As soon as society's labour is not performed in isolation but is compared in
some way then it is meaningful to speak of abstract labour. Production for
market exchange is not the only way in which concrete labours are compared.
Public works (the construction of large-scale dams, irrigation and
monuments) is another ancient way in which the abstract potential of labour
is treated in a real process.

Where do you disagree with this?

//Dave Z

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Received on Tue Feb 17 08:11:12 2009

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