>Could you provide some reference from *Capital* Paul? As I understand, Marx did >not write *Law of Chaos*. >Cheers, ajit sinha Paul: However a quote from marx: We have thus demonstrated that different lines of industry have different rates of profit, which correspond to differences in the organic composition of their capitals and, whithin given limits, also to their different periods of turnover; given the same time of turnover, the law that profits are related to one another as the magnitudes of the capitals, and that, consequently, capitals of equal magnitudes yield equal profits in equal periods, applies only to capitals of the same organic composition, even with the same rate of surplus value. These statements hold good on the assumption which has been the basis of all our analyses so far, namely that commodities are sold at their values. There is no doubt, on the other hand, that aside from unessential, incidental and mutually compenstating distinctions, differences in the average rate of profit in various branches of industry do not exist in reality, and could not exist without abolishing the entire system of capitalist production. (Capital III p 153, Moscow 1971) The weasel words here are 'aside from unessential, incidental and mutually compenstating distinctions'. If one is allowed to abstract from mutually compensating distinctions then all distributions condense on their means, and the assertion of an equal average rate of profit between industries becomes vacuous. ______________________ There you go Paul! Marx said exactly opposite of what you are saying. Then you have to go around looking for "weasel words". Actually, there is nothing "weasel" about them. Marx is simply abstracting form "incidental" factors to determine a theoretical point. "prices of production" and "market prices" are two distinct concepts. And I don't understand why if you abstract from "incidental" factors, the idea of the "average rate of profit" becomes vacuous"? __________________ Just why differences in the rate of profit would abolish the entire capitalist system of production is unclear. ___________________ For simple reason, given the theoretical constraints, the law of capitalist competition requires the rates of profits to average out. Cheers, ajit sinha
