Marx’s labor theory of value serves as the foundation for his critique of political economy.Its primary objective is to expose and challenge the concept of ’wage labor’within capitalist societies,with the ultimate goal of realizing the freedom of human labor.The significance of Marx’s labor theory of value extends beyond its examination of the law of value;it also carries a critical perspective on political economy.This perspective not only reveals the mysteries behind capital accumulation but also addresses the theoretical concerns related to human emancipation and the pursuit of a ’good life’.The theoretical value and relevance of Marx’s labor theory of value lie in its ability to dissect the logic of capital.In the contemporary context,financial capitalism,cognitive capitalism,and digital capitalism have emerged as new forms of capitalist development,perpetuating exploitation and oppression in more complex and subtle ways.Consequently,it is imperative for us to ’revisit’ Marx’s labor theory of value and deconstruct the logic of capital.The rise in the significance of ’labor’ in modern society provides the backdrop for the development of Marx’s labor theory of value.Recognizing that Hegel’s philosophy of law failed to address the ’material interest problem’,Marx embarked on a critique of political economy centered around ’labor’.He identified three key tenets of modern’labor’ theory: Firstly,Locke’s theory of labor and property rights exhibits a paradox between the ’individual principle’ and ’labor’.Secondly,the classical political economy highlights the ’dichotomy’ of the ’law of value’ in actuality.Thirdly,Hegel only acknowledged abstract ’spiritual’ labor.By reflecting on and criticizing the principles of labor property rights,labor theory of value,and spiritual labor,Marx laid the foundation for his own labor theory of value.Marx’s labor theory of value is a comprehensive theory that combines economics and philosophy.It establishes a connection between the materialist view of history and the critique of political economy,serving as a crucial tool to unravel the complexities of modern society.Marx analyzed the connection between labor and human nature,history,and value in the construction of alienated labor,materialist view of history,and duality of labor.He also uncovered the enigma of labor.In his deduction of the source,amount,and form of value,Marx demonstrated that the essence of value lies in the relationship between human beings,disguised as the relationship between things.Additionally,he unraveled the mystery of commodity fetishism.In the transition from the theory of value to the theory of labor,Marx also made a breakthrough in understanding the essence of surplus value.Through logical transformation,Marx discovered that surplus value is actually the exploitation of’dead labor’ by ’living labor’.In the application of the dialectic method,the analysis focuses on the ’economic form’ of capitalist society,aiming to achieve a dual transcendence of the empirical abstraction found in classical political economy and the discursive abstraction presented by Hegel.This leads to the establishment of the dialectics of labor,which can be considered as a rational form of dialectics.By doing so,the riddle of dialectics is effectively addressed.Marx’s labor theory of value encompasses the theoretical understanding of surpassing the dominance of capital and the potential for revolutionizing human liberation.Through his analysis of capitalist relations of production,Marx reveals the hidden workings and sources of power behind capital,shedding light on the social reality that humans are governed by abstract concepts.In his analysis,Marx reveals the dialectical tension between capital and labor,shedding light on the ’self-reflexive’nature of capital.He also offers an explanation for the enigma of ’the free development of every human being’.His ideas aimed to eliminate the ’capitalization’of time and achieve the ’spatialization’ of human development.Additionally,Marx sought to transcend social relations that are ’external to man’ in order to realize the’spatialization’ of human development.The Marxian labor theory of value not only addresses the concept of ’human development’,but also serves as a source of inspiration for ’the free development of human beings’.Marx’s labor theory of value not only explains ’how man exists’,but also explores ’how human liberation is possible’,thereby paving the way for future philosophical directions.Marx’s labor theory of value is a theory that is relevant to the current times.Adherence to and development of Marx’s labor theory of value is necessary for critiquing contemporary political economy.In response to the evolving nature of capitalism,the Western left-wing academia has reinterpreted Marx’s labor theory of value through concepts such as the dialectic of value form and the theory of immaterial labor.The former emphasizes the form of value but overlooks its historical context,highlighting the authority of the value form.The latter focuses on the quantity of value but neglects its social aspect,thus weakening the explanatory power of Marx’s labor theory of value for immaterial labor.To address misinterpretations and challenges to Marx’s theory of labor and value,it is essential to engage in a dialogue with contemporary thought from a historical materialism perspective.This will help clarify and respond to these challenges and demonstrate the contemporary significance of Marx’s theory of labor and value as the "spirit of the times". |