Francisco Cipolla wrote:
> In Capital, Chapter XII, V.I (International Publishers) Marx gives an
> example in which by virtue of introducing a new method of production an
> individual capitalist is able to double its production to 24 units of use
> value while all others continue to produce only 12 with the same amount of
> labor. This individual capitalist's unit value, or individual value is 9
> pences as against a social value of 12 pences. Marx says: the more
> productive labor counts as more intense labor. This is because his product
> can be sold at a value above 9 pences. It can count as more intense labor
> because it can command more than its individual value. However, depending
> on market conditions the more productive firm will sell at 10 or 10,5 or
> maybe 11, or even at 9,5. Who knows! What is curious here is that the more
> productive labor counts as more intense labor by a rate determined by how
> much the market can absorb of the product! That is, counts as more labor
> to the extent that the demand can absorb the total product. What
> determines how much more intense it counts for is social need. But social
> need here can be extended or contracted by variations in price. It seems
> that 'how much more intense' it counts for is left undetermined.
> Cipolla
This seem another clear indication that there is in Marx a line of
argument congruent with (amongst others) the value-form approach. The
formation of Abstract Labour as the measure and unit of value
necessarily involves capitalist commodity production - that is to say
production under capitalist relations of production *embedded in a
systen of generalised commodity circulation*.
Similarly, Marx's value theory cannot be caricatured as a purely
costs of production theory, as some orthodox historians of thought
would have it.Dr Michael Williams
"Books are Weapons"
Department of Economics Home:
School of Social Sciences 26 Glenwood Avenue
De Montfort University Southampton
Milton Keynes SO16 3QA
MK7 6HP
Email:Michael@mwilliam.u-net.com
Tel:01908 834876 01703 768641
Fax:01908 834979 01703 768641
http:http://www.mk.dmu.ac.uk/~mwilliam
Dr Michael Williams
"Books are Weapons"
Department of Economics Home:
School of Social Sciences 26 Glenwood Avenue
De Montfort University Southampton
Milton Keynes SO16 3QA
MK7 6HP
Email:Michael@mwilliam.u-net.com
Tel:01908 834876 01703 768641
Fax:01908 834979 01703 768641
http:http://www.mk.dmu.ac.uk/~mwilliam