Skip navigation

The autonomization of abstract wealth: new insights on the labor theory of value

The autonomization of abstract wealth: new insights on the labor theory of value

Rotta, Tomas Nielsen ORCID: 0000-0002-5304-9890 and Teixeira, Rodrigo Alves (2015) The autonomization of abstract wealth: new insights on the labor theory of value. Cambridge Journal of Economics (Advance Access), 40 (4). pp. 1185-1201. ISSN 0309-166X (Print), 1464-3545 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/bev028)

[img]
Preview
PDF (Author's Accepted Manuscript)
13397_ROTTA_The_autonomization_of_abstract_(2015).pdf - Accepted Version

Download (173kB)

Abstract

We theorize the forms of value in the Marxist system in a way that challenges the dominant tradition. The standard procedure has been to read Marx’s Capital as an analysis that begins at a high level of abstraction and moves toward more concrete concepts. Our alternative approach posits that the forms of value in the Marxist system evolve from more concrete toward more abstract forms of wealth that increasingly separate from and obscure labor exploitation. Our procedure therefore replaces the dominant interpretation of ‘successive approximations’ employed by most scholars. We develop a broader account of Marx’s project alongside textual evidence retrieved from many of his writings. We also provide a new way to incorporate the monetary, financial, and rentier forms of wealth into Marx’s labor value theory. The proposed alternative approach can potentially open a research agenda on the contemporaneous dynamics of abstract and concrete forms of wealth in advanced capitalism.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Marx; capital; abstract wealth; autonomization; labor theory of value;
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Business
Faculty of Business > Department of International Business & Economics
Last Modified: 14 May 2019 16:01
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/13397

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics