Marx conceives of capitalism as a production mode based on the exploitation of labour-power, whose productive consumption in the labour process is considered as the main source of value creation. Capitalists seek to obscure and secure workers’ contribution to the production process, whereas workers strive to have their contribution fully recognized. The struggle between capitalists and workers over labour-time is thus central to capital’s valorization process. Hence, capital–labour antagonism is structured over the capture and exploitation of unpaid labour-time. Building on Marx’s labour value theory, as well as on some of its contemporary interpretations, I call this struggle over labour-time capture a process of ‘invisibilization’ of labour. I claim that this invisibilization process is still a relevant form of surplus-value extraction in contemporary capitalism, especially in the platform economy, characterized by remote but pervasive control by algorithms. The rediscovery of this form of surplus-value extraction and its manifestation in platform labour is the main contribution of this study. To corroborate this contribution, I compare the case of platform labour with that of textile-clothing, where value production is more clearly based on the classical forms of surplus-value extraction (i.e., absolute and relative). This comparison helps to cast a new light on the nexus between work-process transformations and surplus-value creation, which is the core of the Marxian labour theory of value, and which – I argue – is crucial to understanding contemporary capitalist developments.
The three important silk books reflecting the Taoist thought of Taoism are“Tao Yuan”,“Huainan Zi-Yuan Tao”and“Wen Zi-Tao Yuan”. First of all, these three documents give a profound discussion on Tao from the perspective of ontology, affirming that the Tao body has the characteristics of“nothing”and“one”. However, there are differences in their specific interpretations, such as“nothing”has“emptiness”and“one”has the meaning of“unity”,“uniqueness”and“originality”. Secondly, all three texts show the ontological“Tao”from the level of“the use of Tao”, but there are differences and emphasis in how they show it. For example, there are two kinds of interpretations of the“nothingness”of the“Way”, namely“nothingness”and“no desire”. In summary, these three documents reflect the early Taoist thought on Tao in general, but there are also certain differences, changes and developments, among which the distance of silk books from“Tao Yuan”to“Huainan Zi-Yuan Tao”is larger.
The“America First”strategy,which shook the unified“West”accidentally built up by the Cold War,prevented China from encountering a common“Western”squeeze.But on 24 February 2022,when Putin launched“a special military operation”against Ukraine,a unified“West”against Russia was quickly consolidated on both sides of the Atlantic.This stark contrast prompts us to go back in history to look at the“West”.In fact,for most of human history there has been no“West”.In response to the Soviet Union’s post-World War II expansion in Eastern Europe and the Third World,the United States,through the Marshall Plan and the formation of NATO,turned the Atlantic into a“West”,physicalised both sides of the Atlantic into the“West”,of which Western Europe became an important part.At the end of the Cold War,the“East”collapsed and the“West”gained legitimacy,continuing to exist under US domination and expanding,enriching and enriching itself into something equivalent to“democracy”,“freedom”and“human rights”,while before 2003 the Russian Federation was cooperating normally with NATO and the European Union.The Biden administration used“the special military operation”to reinvigorate the“West”and to confirm that the“West”is still the enemy of Russia.It is clear that today the West,if it exists at all,is either a Russian geopolitical concept or a US-led construct rather than a universal one.
In the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics,research on emerging rights has become increasingly mature and has achieved some milestones,mainly in four aspects:deepening jurisprudence,embracing science and technology,focusing on justice and caring for society.The research on the basic theory of emerging rights has deepened,and its basic scope and theoretical foundation have become more mature.Scientific and technological progress has expanded the research themes of emerging rights,and the research on emerging rights in the field of artificial intelligence,information and data rights,and genetic rights has become more and more abundant.The judiciary has gradually become the focus of academic circles,and the research position of emerging rights has experienced a shift from legislation to judiciary.People’s livelihood and social rights have always been the constant theme of the research on emerging rights.The nature and content of social rights have become clearer,and the rights of the socially disadvantaged have received more attention.Based on this,future research on emerging rights should continue to highlight the theme of the times,deepen theoretical research,pay attention to research methods,and focus on cross-disciplines,with a view to further improving the level and quality of research.
Self-consciousness of theoretical research premises directly affects the breadth and depth of theoretical research.The study of Marxism abroad must be based on a solid research of Marxist thought,combine the theoretical logic of Marxism abroad with the logic of real social history,and place it in the overall context of the history of ideas,in order to truly understand and grasp Marxist thought,to correctly position it theoretically,and to carry out genuine dialogue and exchange with foreign Marxist thinkers and their researchers,thus making Marxist research abroad can become an important theoretical resource that can be absorbed and drawn upon to solve China’s real-life problems and construct Chinese Marxist theory.
