Concept analysis of the concept of Marx's abstract labor
December 30, 2021 09:38 Source: "Chinese Social Sciences" December 30, 2021 Issue 2320 Author: Feng Bo

"Abstract Labor" is a vital concept of Marx's political economy criticism。Because on the one hand,Value is objectized or materialized of abstract labor,product、Currency and capital are special value forms or values; therefore the concept of abstract labor is the key to understanding the entire category system of the "Capital Theory"。On the other hand,Marx said "Modern Personal abstract rule",That is, the individual in modern society is crushed and dominated by abstract labor and its value form; therefore, "abstract labor" is an important concept of Marx's critical capitalist society。But the Chinese and foreign academic circles have always been different from the opinions and nature of Marx's "abstract labor"、No intention is。How to solve these disputes from "Capital" and its manuscripts、Purchase the concept of Marx's abstract labor,Is an important theoretical problem。

First,Is abstract labor consumption or social equivalent?

Different useful or valuable products need to be exchanged,But there is a lack of a common thing between different useful properties,Therefore, it is difficult to make a contract、Comparison and exchange。If Marx said,1 Quot wheat = A British Board Iron,This formula shows that there is a "equivalent common thing" among the two different objects,But "This common thing cannot be the geometry of the product、Physical、Chemical or other natural attributes "。Use value is the natural attribute of the product,Commodity exchange must be used to use value,Different from the difference in product quality can the bet365 best casino games remaining quantity difference。Products with different values ​​are specific and useful labor products,With the value of the use value, there are also the useful nature of various labor,"There are no more differences in various labor,All transformed into the same human labor,Abstract human labor "。Visible,Abstract labor is equivalent to society after the natural attributes of the product,It is the product of people’s social activities, that is, exchanged products。

But,Marx also said,"Although sewing and weaving are different quality production activities,But both are human brains、muscle、Neuro、Hand, etc.,In this sense,,Both are human labor "。Abstract labor seems to be the abstraction of various specific labor thinking,that is, to extract the common process of labor between different useful properties in thinking; that is,,Abstract labor is the common nature of different useful products。But abstract labor as the same sex as society is not the common nature of the product,It is rather because of the removal of the nature of the product itself、Dipping is formed、External strength is imposed on the same nature of goods; therefore Marx said,The value of the product is "pure is the society","Independent value of things,The absolute value of any material and relationship is destroyed "。Contemporary British and American "new dialectics" schools particularly emphasized the same sex of abstract labor,Negative abstract labor as a physiological consumption,As Canadian scholars Pu Shu said the same say,"If the category of abstract human labor is a social regulation,Then it is not a physiological category "。

Actually,Marx's understanding of abstract labor as human physiological consumption Bet365 app download is not for biology、Purpose of physiological research。The reason he understands this,It is because the social equivalent between different useful commodities is not a that is not related to specific labor、empty content; and human physiological consumption is exactly the same -sex entity or content of commodity society,"Content of Value Regulations"。Different useful products communicate with each other、Comparison reality is that the labor of the production of products is also the cost of labor。On the other hand,,If the content of physiological consumption is lacking,So abstract labor is the mysterious "ghost" in the common product of different natural attributes。Because the value of value consumed as a physiological is available、Experience,No mystery can be said。The mystery of the product is that the equivalent of human labor appears in the form of the value of labor products,as the nature of the product itself、Pure quantity is the existence of super sensation。

Next,Abstract labor is a realistic activity or an abstract concept?

Abstract labor as a physiological consumption is a real activity,As Marx said,Human labor is "the consumption of an average simple labor with an ordinary person with no expertise with any expertise"。Abstract labor is no processability、Simple operation of independence and personality,It is a simple labor that any ordinary person can competent,Therefore, different useful labor can be regarded as human physiological consumption。For example,The labor of the production of wheat and the production of iron is different,But under modern technical conditions,People who produce wheat can produce iron with the same labor time,People who produce iron can also produce wheat with equal labor bet365 Play online games time; therefore, the labor of wheat and iron production can be applied in terms of physiological consumption、Calculate and transfer。

But Marx also said,"Private special labor ... only after abandoning your original nature during the exchange process"。Abstract labor seems to be a thinking setting for general exchange。If there is no abstract labor for the same sex as society,So there is no way to make a contract between different useful products、Comparison and exchange; so in order to achieve universal exchange,It is necessary to clear the different properties of each product in the thinking,Leave a pure quantity to ensure the approach、Calculation。Abstract labor is a private labor that is transferred in exchanges or circulation,In order to be able to complete the transfer,Private labor must clear its personality as much as possible; because products with personalities cannot be generally applied to others in society,Therefore, you cannot transfer it out。

Actually,Abstract labor as an abstract concept is a reflection of abstract labor as realistic activities。Marx said,"Abstract or concept,It is nothing more than the theoretical expression of those physical relationships that rule individuals "。It is precisely because the private labor in reality is getting easier and simpler,More and more in line with abstract concepts,It is more and more capable of using a common physiological consumption、Calculation,Therefore, the more you can do it as a general exchange、Thinking of the same sex for society of different commodities。

Last,Is "abstract labor" a unique concept of a capitalist society?

Since abstract labor as an abstract concept is increasingly simpler、More and more losing skills,It is becoming more and more reflected in the Bet365 lotto review real labor that consumes physiological consumption; then abstract labor is by no means super history,That is by no means the common nature of different labor under any historical stage,Instead of reflection in developed capitalist society。As one of the representatives of the German "New Horse Reading" movement, Lahilt said,"In Marx's analysis framework,Value is a critical category,It reveals the historical particularity of the wealth and production forms unique to capitalism "。That is to say,Abstract labor is a concept of a developed capitalist society,Historical special characteristics。

But according to the usual point of view,"Capital Theory" Volume 1 "Commodity and Capital" describes the "simple product circulation" process before capital generation,Therefore, abstract labor or value as a commodity attribute is not unique to the capitalist society。After all, the goods before capitalism already exist,So the abstract labor that condensed in the product is what is caused by the emergence of the product。Therefore, the concept of abstract labor seems to be a reflection of all history after the relationship between the commodity exchange,Not only applicable to capitalist society。

But actually,Marx described in the first part of "Capital", which is described by the goods and currencies in the capitalist production method。Marx said,"Capitalist production method accounts for the wealth of society with a dominant status,It is manifested as ‘huge product accumulation’,A single product is manifested as an element form of this wealth "。Although there are goods before the capitalist society,But Marx is concerned about a product that shows the wealth of capitalist bet365 live casino games society。On the one hand,Because before the capitalist society,Self -sufficient natural economic state,Most labor products do not adopt the form of products; since most labor products do not need to be exchanged,Then there is no need to set a social equivalent for different useful products for universal exchange。Therefore, before the capitalist society,The setting of abstract labor is unnecessary。As Marx said,"This kind of special content of labor is equally viewed,Not only an abstraction we made,and is an abstract caused by capital,It is essentially the characteristics of capital "。Although the remaining value is not generated in circulation,But to be realized in circulation,Therefore, the capital of capital will promote the universalization of commodity exchange from unlimited proliferation,Only at this time,The setting of the concept of abstract labor and value is necessary。

On the other hand,Before the capitalist production method,Labor with different useful properties is inequality,The labor of the nobles and the labor of the slave、It is difficult to compare between high -level labor and low -level labor,and pass through a certain proportion of each other、Transfer。Therefore,Lack of abstract labor and value concepts in the capitalist society。Marx believes that only all individuals in the society appear as equal commodity possessors,Only in the capitalist society that has been completed,The concept of abstract labor and value is possible。

In short,Abstract labor is unique to the capitalist society、Social equivalent between different useful products,The physiological consumption of people is exactly the content of this kind of social equivalent,That is, the products with different use values ​​can make Bet365 lotto review an appointment with each other because it is a different amount of physiological consumption、Comparison and transfer。as an abstract concept,Abstract labor is the reflection of the increasingly simplified labor activities in the capitalist society。

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(Author Unit: School of Philosophy and Social Development of Shandong University)

Editor in charge: Zhang Yueying
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