A comment on Bowles and Gintis' Marxian theory of value

Abstract

In a recent article (1977, pp. 173-192), Bowles and Gintis provide a Marxian model which attempts to incorporate the idea of heterogeneous labour. In so doing, Bowles and Gintis redefine many Marxian concepts by introducing vector-valued concepts in place of the real-valued numerical measures normally used. The purpose of this comment is to examine the meaning of Bowles and Gintis use of the word hetero geneous and the relation of this use to Bowles and Gintis' belief that their framework may be of use in analysing exploitation among and between various segments of labour and capitalists. It may be claimed, following Marx, that skill differences may be taken into account by treating them as simple multiples of basic abstract labour. It is important to recog nise, however, that such skill differences result from a process of training or education that turns simple abstract labour into skilled labour. In Marx's words (1968, p. 191)