| This question <398-7|148> overall <141-8|142-1> Brutal: <127-2|167>. |
| Question 264: Metamorphosis is only a different word for form change. Describe the form of a commodity before its first metamorphosis, after its first metamorphosis, and after the second metamorphosis. |
| [142] Brutal: The metamorphosis of commodities Before its first metamorphosis the commodity has only exchange value. As Winston explains in [139], this is due to the division of labor. Therefore, the producer makes only that commodity and it has no use value for him. |
| The producer must go into the market to exchange the commodity he produced in order to satisfy his many other needs. He thus seeks someone with money to sell his commodity to. Once he sells his commodity for money the commodity has undergone the first metamorphosis and is now in the money form. Now his commodity (in the money form) represents all the commodities he can purchase for the money he holds. |
| The second metamorphosis takes place when this same person exchanges his money to buy a commodity with use value. After this metamorphosis the commodity takes on a form that is useful for the individual. |
| Hans: Very good! |
|
|
|||||