looking for "law of value" references

[Roger Odisio]

Carrol Cox wrote:
> 
> Barbara Laurence wrote:
> 
> > fellow and sister henwoodians.
> > I'm looking for refernces in Marx and Marxist-type economic writings,
> > articles or book section or chapters, whatever, on the "law of value."
> 
> I don't know that there is any such thing as a "law of value." No such
> thing is mentioned as far as I can recollect in either _Capital_ or the
> _Grundrisse_. Someone (or ones) on one of these lists a few years
> ago was trying to invent some super-historical "law of value" that
> ruled pre-cap as well as cap societies, but I don't see what reason
> marxists would have for such a "law." There are endless discussions
> of value, exchange value, capital, surplus value, commodity, etc.
> as expressions of social relations in capitalist society -- but no
> "laws."

Carrol,

When Marx used the term "law", and he did often (see my response to
Jim), e.g., the law of value, the law of the tendency of the rate of
profit to fall (Doug's favorite), he meant a historical law specific to
particular material conditions--capitalist social relations, and,
sometimes, specific relations.  He did not mean some super historical
law that applies outside capitalism.  These are not laws of physics;
they are social laws.

That means (gasp) they must be constantly re-evaluated with changing
conditions.  Personally, I think the term "theory" better conveys the
meaning of what we are talking about.

RO