| This question <62|62> overall <61|63> LZJAMJ: <456|183-7>. graded B |
| Question 131: What does Marx mean by the remark in the footnote to C62:4/o; V144:1, that humans are not born with a mirror in their hands? |
| [62] LZJAMJ: Mirror in their hands Human beings first develop their perception of what is human by assessing, studying and understanding other human beings. Humans do not develop their perceptions of humanity by first observing themselves. For example a young child notices that others around her have a protruding, flesh colored nose. The child then examines their own nose and realizes it is generally similar to the noses of other human beings. Therefore the child, based on a standard set by other humans, establishes their humanity. The young child does not first notice their own nose and say, “this nose is the nose of a human, and humans are like me, therefore those around me with similar noses are humans.” |
| This concept relates to economic issues in the establishment of product values. Marx uses the example of the linen and the coat to show this relationship. The linen's value is based on its ability to take the physical form of another commodity. Therefore the lines realizes its value not as linen but as a linen coat. Thus the value a society (be it capitalist or socialist) places on the final commodity (the coat) reflects as if it were in a mirror the value of the primary commodity (the linen). |
| The relevance of this concept stems from the basic discussion of how values of commodities in an economic system are established. In the market system low demand for coats would result in a low price, regardless of the amount of labor involved in producing the fiber that is woven into linen, the labor of the linen maker, the labor of the coat designer, the labor of the coat maker, the labor of the coat wholesaler, etc., etc., etc. Marx would sign the value of this coat based on the average labor used to produce one coat. |
| Hans: Your first paragraph is an excellent and very convincing explanation. But in the second paragraph you make the same mistake which I pointed out in my [64]. |
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