>>> "Mathew Forstater" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 03/09/00 11:34PM >>>
1) is labor power a commodity?
I think so. Bought and sold in a market.
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CB: Yes, but by Marx's definition a commodity must have use-value, meet a want of
the stomach or of fancy, as well as exchange-value, be produced for sale. But of
course, labor power does have use value. The capitalist consumes the use value of the
labor power commodity.
For Marx, labor power as a commodity is one of the defining characteristics of the
capitalist mode of production.
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2) is labor power produced?
that's a tougher one. it is reproduced for sure. but maybe even produced.
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CB: Herein there is a Marxist feminist argument. The labor that produces much of the
labor power commodity is that of caring laborers, predominantly women historically.
All the years that children are raised is part of the production of their labor power
as adults. Childcare givers and husband caregivers do much of both the concrete (
use-value producing) and abstract (exchange-value producing) labor that produces labor
power. Not only that, they care for themselves and produce their own labor power !!
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CB
