Marxian and Non-Marxian Theories: What Is the Demarcation?

Abstract

AbstractCan we analyze Marx’s critiques more concretely by comparing with non-Marxian views without the tendency to simplifying, dogmatizing, ossifying, and ideologicalizing Marxism? Marx criticized the capitalist relations of production and revealed that capital valorization is achieved through the purchase and use of labor power. As the exchange value of labor power is greater than its exchange price, labor power creates surplus value for capital in the process of use. However, in a non-Marxist economist’s eyes, all this happens in equal, voluntary, and legitimate transactions between both parties. The worker’s labor is paid, the amount of which is affected by the labor market supply and demand and other factors. The capitalist’s profit represents what is paid back for his capital investment (accumulated labor), his management labor, market risk, and other elements. From the phenomenon and essence of exchange, the emergence and historical transformation of ownership, and relations of distribution, we analyze Marx’s views of critique and their differences from that of non-Marxian thinkers. In this chapter, those non- Marxian views I mentioned were in or before the time of Marx.