[OPE-L:894] Re: evaulation of inputs and moral depreciation

Michael A. Lebowitz (mlebowit@sfu.ca)
Wed, 31 Jan 1996 09:52:04 -0800

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In message Wed, 24 Jan 1996 15:35:15 -0800,
wpc@clyder.gn.apc.org (Paul Cockshott) writes:

> I sniff methodological individualism in the debate
> on moral depreciation.
>
> The starting point should be an analysis of its effects
> on the division of the social working day between
> necessary and surplus labour time. Only when that
> is settled can you work through to its effects
> on aggregate social reproduction, and from there
> to its manifestation in the consciousness of the
> agents.
>
> The key constraint is that rapid obsolescence of
> equipment implies more of the social working day
> must be devoted to the production of means of
> production - part of societies necessary labour time,
> hence it tends to lower the rate of surplus value.
> This must be dealt with first.
>

I think, as suggested in my previous note, that Paul is right to direct
us back to the question of divisions of total social labour. However, I
think that the effect of innovations in the production of means of
production (which presumably are the basis for moral depreciation and that
rapid obsolescence) is the *opposite*--- that it involves a reduction in the
portion of the social working day devoted to production of means of
production, all other things equal.
Further, we cannot say a priori what the effect on the rate of surplus
value will be. Under the assumption that the standard of necessity for
workers (and thus their consumption of articles of consumption) is given,
then an increased portion of the social working day devoted to production of
articles of consumption would imply a rise in the rate of exploitation.
However, that specific assumption was explicitly a working assumption which
was meant to be removed. If we assume, alternatively, that the respective
powers of the combatants is constant, then there is no effect on the rate of
surplus value.
in solidarity,
mike
---------------------------
Michael A. Lebowitz
Economics Department, Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Office: (604) 291-4669; Office fax: (604) 291-5944
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e-mail: mlebowit@sfu.ca