#198 Critique of the Gotha Program w/ Peter Hudis
We are delighted welcome back Prof. Peter Hudis to the show to talk about the introduction he wrote for the new edition of the Critique of the Gotha Program by PM Press.
Critique of the Gotha Program (PM Press):
https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1241
Book Project:
Comments (3)
Great episode, Tom. I do find however, that there is a certain lack of clarity in talking about value with a lot of people. Like the way value operates in capitalism has many aspect to it. Commodity exchange based on socially necessary labour-time is only one aspect (let's call this Aspect 1). For example, the imperative for value to constantly expand (i.e. for more and more value to be produced over time) is a different aspect (Aspect 2). The almost monotonic downward trend of the socially-necessary labour-time needed to produce the same goods is still another aspect (Aspect 3). I like the guest's promoting of free time. But this can be achieved by doing away with only Aspect 2. In fact, I think in order to be on a trajectory of more and more free time, we need Aspect 1 and a more rational version of Aspect 3, i.e. labour-time cheapening of goods in service of creating more free time as opposed to in pursuit of relative surplus value. Thoughts?
Well we will be teasing out the implications of communal reproduction as opposed to reproduction according to capitalist law of value in the book. There is a lot to say about this.... chapters worth. I would say of your 3 aspects though, that 2 and 3 are really corollaries of Aspect 1. Ie. 2nd order Effects of the law of value
Nice ep