Date: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 17:45:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Allin Cottrell <cottrell@ricardo.ecn.wfu.edu>
To: ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu
Subject: re. productive and unproductive labour
Allin Cottrell writes:
> In Capital II Marx notes that the work of
> book-keeping (in the broad sense of keeping track of the
> movement and disposition of goods) is _not_ something specific
> to commodity production -- indeed it will become more important
> in a planned economy.
Or in non-capitalist economies. A couple of examples:
a) The Inka State had an impressive system of accounting carried out
by the "Quipucamoyocs", functionaries in charge of the "quipus".
"Quipus" were a recording device made of knotty strings.
b) The clay tablets found in Crete, which were also book-keeping
devices.
Alejandro Ramos