This question <1261|615> overall <605|611> Keeper: <266|676>.  
  Question 389: Marx says that the independence of the individuals from each other is supplemented by a system of all-round material dependence. Explain what this means.   
  [608] Keeper: Marx writes that the many producers of a society come together in a completely “haphazard and spontaneous” [202:1/o] way and continues on to say that the quality of the commodities made by these same producers is as diverse and scattered as well. It is only when these independent producers come together to sell their respective commodities that they begin to form the system of material dependence on each other. One producer of coats who has access to new machinery and his labor to produce is much lower, can sell his coats for a lower amount and still gain for his labor hours. Another producer of coats may not have access to new machinery and may have to sell his commodity for a higher price to recoup the same in his labor hours, but the quality of the coat is much better. The market is independent of the producers and does not tell them how to produce their commodities or how much to charge for them, but it will influence each producer as price, labor, quality etc become determined by the commodities bought and sold. In 2005fa Hans wrote a response to Miron [2005fa:960] “The market does not establish the dependence for the producers, it merely makes the dependence visible.”   
  Hans: You describe this material dependence in very benign way. The producer who does not have access to the latest machinery can still compete because his product is of higher quality. Marx said this at the end of a long list of circumstances under which the efforts of the producers are frustrated by the market.   
 
 
 
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