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  • Exploitation and Equality Labour Power As A Non-Commodity

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    The theory of surplus value contrasts ‘pay for labour power’ (for proletarians) and ‘pay for labour services’ (for independent, self-employed ‘professionals’). Unlike labour services (living labour, i.e., work itself), but like all commodities, labour power has a specific economic value (it contains a specific amount of embodied labour), and it exchanges at this value. Unlike that of other commodities, the consumption of labour power results in the creation of more value than the commodity itself contains. Surplus value arises from the gap between the labour needed to sustain a day’s work, to keep the worker going for a day, and the labour performed in that same day.... Marxian economic value is embodied labour; but in what sense does labour power embody labour? I argue that in the sense in which commodities are products of labour, labour power itself is not. Consequently, the idea of an equal exchange between capital and labour, as promoted by Marx himself, is a serious mistake.

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    Exploitation and Equality Labour Power as a Non-Commodity

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    The theory of surplus value contrasts ‘pay for labour power’ (for proletarians) and ‘pay for labour services’ (for independent, self-employed ‘professionals’). Unlike labour services (living labour, i.e., work itself), but like all commodities, labour power has a specific economic value (it contains a specific amount of embodied labour), and it exchanges at this value. Unlike that of other commodities, the consumption of labour power results in the creation of more value than the commodity itself contains. Surplus value arises from the gap between the labour needed to sustain a day’s work, to keep the worker going for a day, and the labour performed in that same day.... Marxian economic value is embodied labour; but in what sense does labour power embody labour? I argue that in the sense in which commodities are products of labour, labour power itself is not. Consequently, the idea of an equal exchange between capital and labour, as promoted by Marx himself, is a serious mistake.

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    2 views15 pages

    Exploitation and Equality Labour Power As A Non-Commodity

    Uploaded by

    henrylaycock
    The theory of surplus value contrasts ‘pay for labour power’ (for proletarians) and ‘pay for labour services’ (for independent, self-employed ‘professionals’). Unlike labour services (living labour, i.e., work itself), but like all commodities, labour power has a specific economic value (it contains a specific amount of embodied labour), and it exchanges at this value. Unlike that of other commodities, the consumption of labour power results in the creation of more value than the commodity itself contains. Surplus value arises from the gap between the labour needed to sustain a day’s work, to keep the worker going for a day, and the labour performed in that same day.... Marxian economic value is embodied labour; but in what sense does labour power embody labour? I argue that in the sense in which commodities are products of labour, labour power itself is not. Consequently, the idea of an equal exchange between capital and labour, as promoted by Marx himself, is a serious mistake.

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    of 15

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.

    375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

    Laycock, Henry, Exploitation and Equality: Labour Power as a Non-Commodity , Canadian Journal of Philosophy; Supplementary Volume, 15 (1989) p.375

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