| This question <112|63> overall <60|63> Coffee: <330-32|122>. |
| Question 75: Why can commodities not express their values in their own use values? |
| [62] Coffee: Use value and Exchange value Potential use value in a commodity is always the same. However, if someone can take advantage of every single aspect of the potential use value in a commodity is questionable. I think, that is where the subjective assessment of the use value in a commodity comes from. For instance, some people think a computer is very useful. They can operate almost all software without problems. On the other hand, there are some people who cannot appreciate the technology. They think it is not worth using computers as much, considering all the complicated procedures they may have to go through. If we use the use value of the commodity as an expression of the value, it will be very subjective and hard to express the value due to the difference in the perception of each users. |
| In addition to the first reason, various commodities in the market give us trouble in expressing its value by use value. We need standard measurement of the commodities in the market, which is an exchange value, so that we can compare different commodities objectively. That way we will know how commodities interact to each other. |
| It is hard for us to compare use value of a computer to the one of a calculator. We have to use exchange value for expressing the value of the commodity so that people know a computer has more value in it than a calculator. |
| As I mentioned above, use value of a commodity varies depending on the individual who uses it. Therefore, we cannot use commodity's use value as an expression of its value. We need some other standard to measure commodity. |
| Hans: Your thinking is not bad, and some of what you wrote can also be found in Marx, in his “defects” of the Simple form of value. But, as I say in the detailed comments [64], you must relate the question asked more closely to the assigned readings. |
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