Chapter 11
The Math of Exploitation
RATE AND MASS OF SURPLUS-VALUE Economic Manuscripts: Capital Vol. I - Chapter Eleven Karl Marx. Capital Volume One Chapter Eleven: Rate and Mass of Surplus Value In this chapter, as hitherto, the value of labour-power, and therefore the part of the working day necessary for the reproduction or maintenance of that labour-power, are supposed to be given, constant magnitudes. This premised, with the rate, the mass is at the same time given of the surplus-value that the individual labourer furnishes to the capitalist in a definite period of time. If, e.g., the necessary labour amounts to 6 hours daily, expressed…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Decode the Numbers Game
Think of a workplace metric you encounter - productivity scores, customer satisfaction ratings, efficiency targets, or performance reviews. Write down what the numbers supposedly measure, then identify what human costs or experiences those numbers might be hiding. Finally, rewrite that metric to include what it's actually asking of people.
Consider:
- •Numbers always tell a story - but whose story gets heard?
- •What gets measured often becomes what gets valued, regardless of real importance
- •The more complex the formula, the easier it is to hide who's paying the real price
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were reduced to a number or metric at work, school, or in healthcare. How did it feel to be measured that way? What important parts of your contribution or experience did those numbers miss?
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