From: brumback-AT-ncgate.newcollege.edu
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 20:24:23 -0700
Subject: Re: M-I: Nancy's attempts at philosophy.


Thanks, Nestor, maybe I'll take you up on that. At least you didn't try to
ridicule me into silence, as have others, so unsuccessfully. Actually, I'm
not trying to make smart-sounding definitions, but to define value in such a
way as to include the value of women in the family, slaves, serfs, etc., and
the value that is taken from the environment by capitalist production:

Value is the monetary quantity which capitalists acquire by (1)
appropriating part or all of the wealth produced by the labor of paid,
underpaid, and unpaid workers; and (2) externalizing the real costs of
production to the communities and lands of people of color, to the family,
and to the taxpayers.

Nancy

Nancy

>
>I do not know how young _you_ are, Nancy, but when I was very very 
>young I thought myself that one could handle Marx, Kant and Heidegger 
>and whatever by just coining smart-sounding definitions. Psicology 
>terms this as omnipotent thought, and is very usual among younger 
>human beings.  Maybe you are suffering from the same "disease" I did.
>
>No, Nancy, no.
>
>Capital is no "monetary value", it is a social relation.  In order to 
>understand this you should begin by learning the difference between 
>forms and contents, and the kind of relationship that takes place 
>within an organic whole such as humankind when it happens to divide 
>itself into warrying classes. None the less.  Otherwise said, you 
>should begin to study dialectics. This means taking some good 
>philosophical reading, and I suggest a simple and excellent classic, 
>"Marxism and Human Sciences", by Lucien Goldmann.
>
>Supposing capital a sum of money, a "monetary value" as you say, 
>is precisely the mistake all of Marxism stands against.  It is called 
>fetishism. I know that by giving names to things you do not 
>understand them, but at least be aware that there is a name for the 
>stance you are taking here, and that behind this name there lies a 
>whole set of philosophical debate.
>
>Look, Nancy, do not get angry at what I will say now, but there is a 
>list called marxism-intro on this same server. What about a try?  Of 
>course, you may remain on this list for as long as you want, but I 
>believe that my suggestion may prove more fruitful for you.
>Nestor Miguel Gorojovsky
>nestor-AT-sisurb.filo.uba.ar
>
>
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