Re: [Marxism] Zizek on Marx at "Marxism 2007"

["Carlos Eduardo Rebello" <crebello@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Angelus Novus:

Presumably Zizek is referring to the same passage in
the Grundrisse (MEW 42, page 601) which has been
eagerly adopted by the likes of Antonio Negri and
others who misunderstand Marx's argumentation.  But if
Zizek and Negri would read closer, the reduction of
socially necessary labor time required for the
production of a commodity in no way implies a
breakdown  of the law of value.  In fact, this process
is the foundation for the production of relative
surplus value, as described by Marx in Volume 1.

I agree, and tend to think that Zizek has not enough acquaintance with
Marx's economic theory. For Marx, technology, qua such (i.e., as an
_use_value) is at the same time a _cost of production_ that must be embodied
in the exchange-value of the commodity produced by its handling, therefore
_increasing_ it. The expenditure in "pure" scientific & technological
research, with no immediate application, is fror Marx a _faux frais de
production_ , however ultimately useful it may be (as in the case of the
expenditure of coercive/ideological apparatuses such as schools, the army &
police, etc.).

Carlos Rebello



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