Does nature create value?
In Germany there was an interesting discussion
about this topic between Hans Immler and Wolfdietrich Schmied-Kowarzik
(from Kassel) in 1986.
Karl Marx assumed that nature and work create
the WEALTH of a society. But only (abstract) work creates VALUE.
Immler wants to include the new ecologically
thought. He thinks that Marxism "stands only on one leg like
a stork". Therefore also nature has to create value. But
W. Schmied-Kowarzik argues that Marx merely described capitalistic
reality, which is asymmetric in this way.
Immler´s opinion found some fans. Sometimes
I didn't know, who is right. I read many such opinions also in
books from ecofeminists and so on. And my special field isn't
the political economy. Now I think, Schmied-Kowarzik is right.
Immler takes for granted that value is created
by "abstraction" during changing from value-in-use
to value-in-exchange. But the really abstraction is: work on the
basis of private people is "abstract social work", creating
value (abstract work is the value-substance). This abstract
work is indifferent on the use of their products on principle.
"Value" is not "for account" - it characterizes
a form of socialization, it is not a economically, but a socially
notion.
Naturally forces are effective in increasing
the working productivity. Therefore the nature is charged to account
within the work. It isn't a mistake in the calculation, but it
is social reality. And this reality we have to criticize, not
the calculation.
While work is reproduced (in so far it is necessarily
for profit-production) - nature is appropriated without reproduction
(and reproduction isn't possible to reproduce completely!). There
doesn't exist a "fair payment" (for using no-reproducible
nature or the work of womens). I think, it is a dangerous way
to pay for women-work in housekeeping (housekeeping would become
wage-work also..., not a free, another work) or in the Trikont
( self-sustaining society would be destroyed and subdued under
profit-logic).
I think with Schmied-Kowarzik, that we have
to abolish the value-socialization and not to improve the calculation
within these value-socialization.
The naturally basis plays a special role by
arising the ground-pension (?). Than monopolized naturally
forces bring this "differential-pension" to their owners.
This is mediated by increasing productive forces of the work-forces.
This occurs, so long these naturally forces are not generalized.
"All scientific-technically progress in duty to commodity
production aimed at winning of this extra-profit." (Schmied-Kowarzik)
Literature:
Immler, H., Schmied-Kowarzik, W., Natur und Marxistische Werttheorie.
Dokumentation einer interdisziplinären Arbeitstagung Kassel
1986, Kasseler philosophische Schriften 23, 1988
There doesn't exist supernatural forces. If
we produce, we organize, steer and regulate productive forces
of nature for the benefit of our purposes. We can't produce without
natural forces. In the sense of the theory of factors of production
nature enters (into?) the product.