| This question <92|21> overall <19|21> Chris: <702|83>. |
| Exam Question 10: What is a commodity? Marx does not give the definition of a commodity but an analysis. How would you define the thing he analyzes? (The answer can be given in one sentence.) |
| [20] Chris: A commodity and the market. A commodity is something that has value to those concerned in the marketplace. A commodity is an item that distinguishes itself in its ability to sustain a marketplace through its many guises, whether being that of a finished item that satisfies immediate urges to the consumer or production machines that produce or can be exchanged. For Marx, the capitalist society is full of commodities, “the riches of capitalist society are produced for and traded on markets”. |
| Raynold: A commodity is a product whose value depends on the amount of labor required. However, in order to get a true value, you have to compare it with a like product. For example, you cannot compare a car to a desk. The labor power to produce a car is more extensive because of the time and effort needed than that of a desk. You can compare a BMW to a Nissan because they are both cars that require almost the same parts. |
|
|
|||||