I find Ian's clarification helpful here., and I think this message was meant
for the list.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Hunt <Ian.Hunt@flinders.edu.au>
To: Michael J Williams <michael_j_williams@iname.com>
Sent: Monday, September 06, 1999 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: [OPE-L:1111] Re: Re: Re: Unproductive labour income andMarxian
social accounts, part 2
>
> >
> >> How does Marx define a service ? "A service is nothing other than the
> >> USEFUL EFFECT of a use-value, be it that of a commodity, or that of the
> >> labour" (Cap I, chapter 7, section 2). Note that a service is not
itself a
> >> use-value.
> >
> >This quote alone does not enable your categorical conclusion. It asserts
> >that a service may be a useful effect of the use value of labour. And
this
> >is, imo, a bit of a tangle. First because, for Marx (as you go on to
point
> >out), it is labour power (if anything) not labour that is a commodity,
and
> >it is a commodity that has a use-value. So, whether a service has a
> >use-value is part of the question at issue as to whether a service is a
> >commodity.
>
> Marx can regard labour - ie, a concrete labour - as a commodity, as well
as
> labour power. What cannot be a commodity for Marx is socialy necessary
> ABSTRACT labour.
>
> We can then distinguish between commodities that are consumed at the point
> of production, that are called "services", and vendible commodities - ie
> labour crystallised in some enduring material body.
>
> I think there are two notions of 'productive" at work in Marx. Labour
> exchanged against capital, and capital good producing labour. The second
is
> not too useful, as I see it.
>
> Dr Ian Hunt,
> Associate Professor in Philosophy,
> Director, Centre for Applied Philosophy,
> Philosophy Dept, School of Humanities,
> Flinders University of SA,
> Humanities Building,
> Bedford Park, SA, 5042,
> Ph: (08) 8201 2054 Fax: (08) 8201 2556
>
>
>
Michael
____________________
Dr Michael Williams
Economics and Social Sciences
De Montfort University
Milton Keynes
UK
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