Summary
Summary Marx - floorplans
- Module
- Marx and Marxism
- Institution
- Oxford University (OX)
Notes on Marx's 'Grundrisse'
[Show more]
Content preview
GrundrisseMoney as a Symbol of Alienation in Capitalist Society
● The process is ‘that the product becomes a commodity, that is, a pure element of
exchange’
○ When the product becomes a commodity, and the commodity becomes
exchange value, it has a dual existence, natural and exchange value. In other words, its
exchange value has a material existence (money)
● Money is initially conceived as a means of furthering production, but the more producers
become dependent upon exchange, the more exchange grows independent of production, and thus
becomes a relation alien to the producers. This also means the gap between natural product and
exchange value product widens
● The act of exchange splits into two acts: buying and selling
○ this creates a new relation and class of traders, who buy in order to sell
and sell in order to buy
○ their purpose is not to acquire the goods as products, but to retain the
exchange values
● Since production works directly for trade and only indirectly for consumption, it must be
affected by the disproportion between trade and exchange for consumption that itself produces
Social Power and the Individual
● Prices and exchange are ancient, but the increasing determination of prices by the cost of
production, and the influence over exchange over all production relationships is a development of
bourgeois society, the society of free competitions
● Economists say that everyone follows his private interests and that the sum of private
interests is the general interest.
○ But this ‘private interest’ has no link to ‘human nature’; it is a social
condition manufactured by the relations of production
● The individual in bourgeois society has two imperatives:
○ to produce a general product; exchange value, money
○ to exercise power over others’ activity or social wealth, as the owner of
exchange value (money)
● ‘Thus both his power over society and his association with it is carried in his pocket.’
● This ‘social’ character of activity and product is alienating: individuals are controlled and
subordinated to relations that exist independently of them; personal power has changed into
material power
● In human development: first, relations of personal dependence; second personal
independence founded on material dependence; lastly, free individuality, founded on the universal
domination of communal and social productivity
● The fact that individuals transform the product into the form of exchange value shows
that:
○ they produce only in and for society
○ that their production is not directly social
○ the individuals are subordinate to social production; even those that
manipulate it as their communal capacity
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller patrickfleming. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
73918 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now