Marx’s Theory of Productive and Unproductive Labour

1972/11/30 by Ian Gough · 17 citations
Social Sciences · #Economics #Keynesian economics #Labour economics #Neoclassical economics #Political Economy and Marxism

paper · open access · doi:10.64590/nbp

published in New Left Review 1(76), 47-72 (Routledge)

openalex publication_date 1972/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15

Abstract

This essay will attempt, first and foremost, a definitive exposition of Marx’s theory of productive and unproductive labour. This theory is presented in the three volumes of Capital and in Theories of Surplus Value—Marx’s projected historico-critical fourth volume. This seems useful and necessary for several reasons. First, as . . .

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