VALORES E PREÇOS DE PRODUÇÃO: UMA RELEITURA DE MARX

Abstract

The literature generally understands the Marxian problem of transformation of values into prices of production as comprising the determination of prices under conditions of inter-sectoral competition. This article shows that this perspective is misguided. Marx is interested primarily in explaining the distribution of capital, labour and surplus value across the economy in order to do this, a relatively complex form of value is necessary, called price of production. The transformation is essentially a change in the form of value, in which case conventional procedures are insufficient because they conflate the levels of analysis. This article shows that, property understood, there is no 'problem' in Marx's transformation, and no inconsistency in his analysis. His theory is valuable because it explains the meaning and significance of prices. Calculation of the price vector is elementary in this context.