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Ensayos de Economía

Print version ISSN 0121-117XOn-line version ISSN 2619-6573

Abstract

CALIGARIS, Gastón. A Reconstruction of the Marxist Debate on the Source of Extra Surplus Value Appropriated by Innovative Capitals. Ens. Econ. [online]. 2021, vol.31, n.59, pp.165-185.  Epub Dec 26, 2021. ISSN 0121-117X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/ede.v31n59.93275.

In this article the Marxist debate on the nature and source of the extra surplus value appropriated by capitals that introduce a technological innovation is reconstructed and presented. Until now, this controversy has always been treated as subsidiary to other debates. However, its reoccurrence and the evolution of the arguments - especially in the last decades - show that it has the makings for a debate in and of itself. After tracing the presence of this controversy in different Marxist debates in diverse historical and intellectual contexts, the arguments presented are collected and systematized. In essence, two opposing positions are identified: on the one hand, the one that argues that the extra surplus value is the representation of the work done by the workers employed by the innovation capital. On the other, the one that argues that it has to do with the representation of the work carried out by other capitals. As both arguments are supported in various readings of Marx's work, a section is dedicated to gathering and discussing the textual evidence available. Finally, a brief critical balance is made of the debate which concludes that the position that argues in favor of transferences of value does not imply reverting to a naturalized concept of value nor is it compatible with the bases of Marx's criticism of political economy.

JEL: B14; B24; B51; O33; D46.

Keywords : extra surplus value; surplus profit; enhanced work; transfer of value; Marxist debate; value theory.

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