A Critical Note on Marx’s Theory of Profits

Theodore Mariolis ()

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper shows that Marx’s theory of profits is based, implicitly, on the existence of a vertically integrated sector that (i) can produce the exact amount of commodities re-ceived as wages; (ii) includes all the processes of production actually used in the econ-omy considered; and (iii) constitutes a quasi-one-commodity system. Nevertheless, the said sector does not always exist, whilst when it exists, positive surplus labour is a nec-essary and sufficient condition for positive profits in this sector, pure and simple. Con-sequently, Marx’s theory of profits cannot be sustained.

Keywords: Marx’s theory of profits; surplus labour; uniform rate of profit; vertically integrated wage sector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B51 C67 D30 D46 D57 E11 L22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-06
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Asian-African Journal of Economics and Econometrics 1.6(2006): pp. 1-11

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:24044

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