| This question <61|53> overall <16|18> Dubbel: <16|262>. |
| Question 24: Why does Marx say that use values are the “material carriers” of exchange value? |
| [17] Dubbel: Use values are either being used or consumed and they also represent commodities, as “content of wealth”. |
| Hans: Don't understand what you mean here. Please respond back with a clarification. |
| [17] Dubbel: To clarify, a use value must be in the process of being used or consumed to be seen as having a material content of wealth. |
| Hans: I get it now. You are thinking that exchange value is something subjective, it is a person's individual willingness to exchange. And this depends on the person's perception of the use value of the thing. Exchange value for Marx is not a personal propensity, but something attributed to the commodity by the market. Now back to your original answer: |
| [17] Dubbel: Through this the use value of the commodity carries with it a value or worth that is understood or equally valued by others. This is the actual value in which the commodities may be exchanged. |
| Hans: Now you are saying that value derives from use value. This is utility theory, not Marx. Are you aware of the mental gymnastics utility is making to get to the result that the use values are valued “equally” by everyone? This is a question not only to you, but to the whole class. |
| [17] Dubbel: Marx refers to the exchange value as a quantitative relation. |
| Hans: Marx says at the beginning of R126:2: Exchange value appears at first as a quantitative relation (my emphasis). He argues throughout that exchange value is much more than a quantitative relation. |
| [17] Dubbel: This being the use value of one particular item in exchange for the use value of another item. Each item carries a quantitative value or worth for an type of exchange. This material worth is carried by commodities which may carry varied quantitative value. |
| Hans: Your use of the word “carry” is not clear enough to answer Question 24. |
| [17] Dubbel: In reference to carry: Each commodity holds a certian worth. I believe that Marxs refers to the fact that this value is inherent to the commodities. If the use value is gone then its exhcange value is lost. Commodities hold or represent its use values, and in accordances holds an exchange values. |
| Hans: Grammar! It is a matter of simple courtesy to go over your message at least once and edit it before sending it out. |
| [17] Dubbel: However, refering to the example you gave in the packet of the bread growing on trees. The bread is freely available to all. So from this, one can say that the labour or type of labour involved to acquire somethig is added to the use value and exchange value held by the commodity. |
| Hans: The argument was: If bread grows on wild trees, then it still has the same use value, but no longer the same exchange value. Therefore the exchange value does not come from the use value. |
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