Law of Value 6: Socially Necessary Labor Time by Brendan M. Cooney

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brendanmcooney | September 20, 2010

[…] Our private labor doesn’t immediately become social. It must become value in order to be social. But in becoming value it is disciplined by socially necessary labor time. SNLT acts as an external force which disciplines our private labor, constantly compelling us to work more efficiently, yet never actually making our work easier or more fulfilling. SNLT creates the possibility for super-profits when one produces under the SNLT, and the search for super-profits drives much of the mad, chaotic development of the productive forces of a capitalist society, generating all sorts of unforeseen consequences.

In a society not producing for competition or capital, but for communal ownership, there would not be a SNLT in this same sense. This means that work would not exist in order to make value. Work would exist in order to both provide use-values for society and to better the life of the worker. In our culture we have an intense fascination with those rare people whose work is fulfilling and challenging. Great musicians, athletes, artists, etc inspire us because these are people whose work has challenged them to become the best possible person they can be. Perhaps in a world without SNLT such an experience of work could become more universal.

full text at: Law of Value 6: Socially Necessary Labor Time « Kapitalism101

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see

Law of Value 1: Introduction by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 2: The Fetishism of Commodities by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 3: Das MudPie by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 4: Use-Value, Exchange Value, Value by Brendan M Cooney

Law of Value 5: Contradiction by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 7: Production and Exchange by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 8: Subject/Object by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 9: Abstract Labor by Brendan M. Cooney

Law of Value 10: Price and Value by Brendan M. Cooney

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