[OPE-L:5667] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Reduction

[Gil Skillman <gskillman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The "reduction/infinite regress" thread has concerned the question of
whether "value," understood as the "essence of [capitalist] commodities"
can legitimately be "reduced" to labor alone.  I confess that to me the
whole discussion has a metaphysical,
"how-many-angels-can-dance-on-the-head-of-a-pin" ring to it that would be
dispelled if someone could offer a concise statement of the ontological or
explanatory significance of the concept "value" that is

a) concrete, i.e that provides a complete and unambiguous test for
distinguishing valid and invalid grounds for defining commodity value,

and

b) non-tautological, i.e. that is not just a corollary of defining a
commodity's "value" in terms of labor time.

Gil