My Part of the Marxism Presentation

I can honestly say that our presentation went a lot smoother than I had envisioned it to go. I had never known just how complex and confusing Marxism was, and I had let my nerves get the best of me while preparing my part of the presentation. However, after we had completed our presentation, I was surprised at how everything made sense and fit into place while discussing surplus value, commodity, social value, exchange value, and everything that flowed into it.

I particularly enjoyed the origami activity that we had the class do. Although it wasn't my idea, I helped with cutting the paper, making an example crane, and participating in teaching the class how to fold it. It was engaging for our classmates and rather than it be slightly off tangent, it was right on point with our presentation.

The section that I covered for the presentation was the multiple relations that exist between producers and laborers, mainly covering the idea that, "the relation of the producers to the sum total of their own labor is presented to them as a social relation, existing not between themselves but between the products of their labor" (667). I also discussed that the individual producer must acquire a "twofold character:"
1. The producer must create a product that is a useful kind of labor which satisfies a definite social want.
2. The product can satisfy the manifold wants of the individual producer himself, only in so far as the mutual exchangeability of all kinds of useful private labor.

Overall, the presentation was a success and I am honored to have been a part of such an amazing group to work with.