| This question <203|8> overall <4|6> Ranger: <858|7>. |
| Question 13: Would it have been possible to start with a “common sense” definition of capitalism, such as, that capitalist production is production for profit? |
| [5] Ranger: The answer is no! Marx reveals that one must start with an introduction to the commodity before one can explain capital. |
| Hans: How does he “reveal” this? My notes claim this, but Marx himself is not explicit about this at all. |
| [5] Ranger: A better understanding of the capitalist economy can only be achieved by understanding its key elements. Marx forms a foundation for the capitalist economy by first explaining the commodity, a basic element of the capitalist economy. Marx asserts that the commodity is “simpler” than money, and money “simpler” than capital. |
| Hans: Again, this assertion is in my notes, not in Marx. |
| [5] Ranger: Therefore, the commodity is a needed founding block to the understanding of capitalism. One cannot simply begin an explanation of capitalism by explaining principles of production for profit. The facets of capitalism are structured and are built on top of each other. Subsequently beginning an explanation of capitalism by explaining production for profit would not follow structured reality. |
| Hans: You seem to say: reality is structured, and one has to somehow “follow” this structure if one wants to explain it. Basically I agree with what you are saying, but: |
| (1) much of it comes from my notes, not from the assigned readings in Marx. |
| (2) My notes should have been clearer on the following point: Yes reality is structured, but this structure is not as “nice” as Hegel and, following him, Marx assumed. |
| (3) It is not at all clear why the commodity is so “basic”. I asked for this in Question 15, which reads: |
| 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? |
| This is a difficult question, but if you want to try it, you have my permission to submit question 15 as one of the three questions assigned next week. |
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