| This question <13|34> overall <29|31> Sinbad: <962|31>. |
| Question 15: If Marx wanted to start his book with first principles, why did he pick the analysis of the commodity and not the analysis of the labor process or the analysis of value? |
| [30] Sinbad: Marx's analysis of the basic category of commodity production begins with the “basic unit” or “fundamental cell” of capitalist economic life, the commodity. He does not want to start from a basic concept such as value but rather from an “elementary material phenomenon - the commodity”, as capitalism is the only economic organization based upon generalized commodity production. |
| Hans: I think you have this difficult question right. I'd like you to elaborate more on the difference between basic and elementary, and phenomenon and concept. Value is not just a concept, it is a real agent in capitalist society. |
| [30] Sinbad: (datestring)Tue, 17 Jan 1995 14:29:26 -0700 (MST)(/datestring) In my discussion of Marx's analysis of the commodity, I refer to it as the basic unit of capitalist economic life. I am implying that is is a starting point or basic unit from which Marx chooses to study. He would rather begin with the simplest material element, an observable fact, something to be seen or realized which is the commodity; than try to begin with the notion of value. It is true that value is a real agent in a capitalist society, however, to begin an understanding on such a vast and variable subject or concept would perhaps confound the reader. |
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