| This question <1619|1636> overall <1629|1631> Pisciphiliac: <1628|1654>. graded A |
| Question 601: Whenever Marx contemplates both social and individual points of view, he acts as if the social point of view was the true point of view. Is this justified? |
| [1630] Pisciphiliac: Justification and Wife Swapping. Marx is justified to act as if the social point of view was the true point of view. Capitalism is not just the actions of one capitalist or laborer; it is the collective social actions of all capitalists and all laborers. In most cases, if one were to look at only one or two capitalists (or laborers) you are likely to see actions and ideas that are not the same as the majority social action and ideas. Regardless of the individual point of view, the overall social view is the one that is important to capitalism. |
| I would like to disagree with Prairierose's comment [1612] about wife swapping: “The wife swap does not have an exchange value because it is not a socially acceptable practice. Therefore, if the individual wants to participate in wife swapping he could not because it is not socially acceptable thus there is no exchange value.” If two people are willing to “wife swap” there is an exchange value, even if it is not the socially acceptable practice. Cocaine is not a socially acceptable norm, but it certainly has an exchange-value. |
| Hans: Your first paragraph is very good. You are saying that in capitalism, social relations often override individual intentions. |
| Regarding the wife swapping, you are right that it does not need to become a socially acceptable practice for wives to have an exchange-value. But two people swapping their wives is not enough to give wives an exchange-value. |
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