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[137] Michael: Comments on Prarierose's response. Prarierose says in [135]: “In a capitalist society it is
only possible for labor to be measured as abstract labor.”
Be careful here. Abstract labor isn't something directly
observable; Marx is arguing that the form in which abstract
labor manifests itself is exchange value, which is
measurable. In fact, only on the basis of abstract labor, as
it acts as common denominator, can different concrete labors
be compared; while only concrete labors can be measured.
This is the duality of (commodity producing) labor: that it
is concrete and abstract; qualitative and quantitative;
produces use-values and, at the same time, value. To be
clear, we can speak of, say, two hours of a doctor's labor
and three hours of a computer programmer's labor, in which
case we have measured concrete labors; but we can't sensibly
compare the two according to their respective products,
which are two different use-values. |
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