Hi Steve,
here a quote from the EXCHANGE AND PRODUCTION section of GRUNDRISSE:
It is clear, firstly, that the exchange of activities and abilities
which takes place within production itself belongs directly to
production and essentially constitutes it. The same holds, secondly,
for the exchange of products, in so far as that exchange is the means
of finishing the product and making it fit for direct consumption.
You see, exchange is a means of finishing the product...
Michael
On 13-Oct-04, at 1:14 PM, Steve Gabosch wrote:
> Michael, I would like to please return to the post you opened this
> thread with, where you discuss Engeström and Marx. Your statement
> that "Marx clearly says that all activity implies the exchange
> situation ..." perplexes me. I found the p88 quote you mention below
> - its on p84 of the Progress MECW volume 35 I have - but I am still
> working on understanding what you mean by "the exchange situation" -
> and why you say Marx claims that "all activity" implies it. So far I
> am not seeing this in Marx. Certainly, Marx explains that all
> exchange originates in the creation of commodities through labor
> activity. In this sense, the opposite idea can be attributed to Marx
> - that all exchange implies the labor activity situation - but I am
> not grasping what you actually say, that all activity implies the
> exchange situation.
>
> Best,
> - Steve
>
>
> At 08:45 AM 10/13/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>
> Steve,
> I am referring to chapter 1 in the German edition--
>
> Marx says :
> (p.55) that production for your own needs produces use-value but not
> commodity
> (p.57) in the use-value of each commodity there is a certain
> purposeful activity or useful labor
> (p.61) All labor ... produces value (of commodity)
> (p.88) The two-fold social character of the labour of the individual
> appears to him, when reflected in his brain, only under those forms
> which are impressed upon that labour in every-day practice by the
> exchange of products. In this way, the character that his own labour
> possesses of being socially useful takes the form of the condition,
> that the product must be not only useful, but useful for others,
> ((THis translation was taken from the English version on
> marxists.org))
>
> The product of labor must be useful, importantly, for others...
>
> So labor already implies the usefulness of the product for others...
> Marx is not interested in production for my own needs, like my labor
> of running an organic garden and eating my own vegetables year round.
>
> On a final note, the English translation is atrocious. Marx wanted a
> readable work, and was proud that commentators described the Kapital
> as readable, even by non-academics. The English translation does not,
> in my view, do justice to the original, and leaves out many of the
> important shades of meaning... tradutore traditore
>
> Michael
>
>
> On 13-Oct-04, at 1:09 AM, Steve Gabosch wrote:
>
>
> Michael, where does Marx say this?
> "Marx clearly says that all activity implies the exchange situation
> ..."
>
> Thanks,
> ~ Steve
>
> </blockquote></x-html>
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