Ren Tao
( 1)
Value is abstract human labor condensed in commodities, which reflects the relationship between commodity producers in exchange for labor. Therefore, value has objective reality only as a social relationship. Value can only be expressed through the exchange relationship between commodities and the form of exchange value. After the emergence of money, the value of goods is relatively expressed as the use value of money through exchange, that is, the price. Price is the relative expression of commodity value in money. The proportion of equivalent exchange of goods is based on the value they contain; The realization of commodity equivalent exchange requires that the price conforms to the value. The purpose of price macro-control is to make the price conform to the value according to the requirements of the law of value.
However, under the condition of spontaneous price formation, it is common that the price deviates from the value due to the change of supply and demand. Due to the existence of the inherent law of value in commodity production, the deviation of price from value determined by value is limited; The price that reflects the current situation of supply and demand can adjust supply and demand in turn, making the price fluctuate around the value and become the embodiment of the role of the law of value. This adjustment of supply and demand and production has the advantages of timeliness and flexibility, so it meets the requirements of the law of value. Therefore, China chose the socialist market economic system in order to make better use of the law of value and make the market lay the foundation for resource allocation under the national macro-control. In principle, the state cannot interfere with free prices and their fluctuations. This is the major premise that price macro-control must abide by.
At the same time, we should also see that enterprises, as independent or relatively independent economic entities, are not very clear about the specific situation of social production, supply and demand. Under the condition of spontaneous market regulation, the deviation of market price set by enterprises from value can not accurately reflect the actual situation of supply and demand. When the supply of goods is in short supply, enterprises raise prices for their own benefit, which intensifies the fluctuation of market prices, thus making the market goods move from insufficient supply to surplus. It can be seen that there is great blindness in corporate behavior. This spontaneous and lagging market regulation will inevitably lead to the waste of social labor and other adverse effects. Therefore, the state needs to control the fluctuation of market prices from a macro perspective, avoid ups and downs, and provide enterprises with market supply and demand information in time. Controlling market price fluctuation is an important part of price macro-control.
(2)
Marx revealed another meaning of socially necessary labor time that determines the value of goods. He said: "in fact, the law of value does not affect individual goods or articles, but always affects the total products in various special social production fields that are independent of each other due to division of labor;" Therefore, not only does each commodity use the necessary labor time, but also different kinds of commodities use the necessary proportion in the total labor time of society. This is because the condition is still using the value "[( 1)]. Because the use value of a commodity is the premise of its value, the law of value cannot be separated from the premise of use value. When the products produced by a special production department exceed the needs of society, some social labor time is wasted. At this time, the social labor represented by this commodity quantity in the market is much smaller than the social labor quantity it actually contains. Therefore, these goods are bound to be sold at a price lower than their market value, and some goods may not even be sold at all. If the situation is the opposite, the result will be the opposite. This is manifested on the surface of society as the influence of supply and demand on value. Only when supply and demand are compatible will this commodity be sold at its market value. Therefore, Marx said: "The value is not determined by the labor time necessary for producers to produce a certain number of commodities or a certain commodity, but by the socially necessary labor time, which is determined by the socially necessary total amount of this commodity in the production market under the average social production conditions at that time" [2].
It is not difficult to see that different production fields often strive to maintain balance, which is a further embodiment of the requirements of the law of value. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the balance of social supply and demand structure. If the supply and demand structure is basically balanced, the prices of some products can be prevented from fluctuating greatly for a long time because of the imbalance between supply and demand in the whole society.
Therefore, according to Marx's theory of social reproduction, the state should handle the proportional relationship between the two departments and within them on the premise of giving priority to the development of the means of production and under the condition of coordinating the total supply and demand of society. In the commodity economy, the main way to balance is to establish a mechanism in which planning, finance and finance cooperate and restrict each other through the movement of value, and strengthen the regular adjustment of social supply and demand structure, thus stabilizing prices. As for the situation that some prices fluctuate violently in a region due to the imbalance of local commodities, it can be controlled and regulated by public commercial enterprises. The conditions here are also use value.
It can be seen that the macro-control of prices does not hinder market regulation. Moreover, because the macro-control of prices mentioned here is based on the balance of social supply and demand structure, and the balance of supply and demand structure can limit the market price from fluctuating greatly due to the incompatibility between supply and demand to a certain extent, thus normalizing market regulation and reducing its harm. Price liberalization and macro-control are actually two means of national economic regulation in China at present, that is, the organic combination of market and macro-control. In China, the market plays a role under the national macro-control. We should better combine macro-control with micro-invigoration.
(3)
In the past, the macro-control of prices was explained from two aspects: internal contradictions of commodities and the relationship between prices and supply and demand. Now we need to further analyze the externalization of internal contradictions of commodities and the relationship between prices and paper money.
Paper money comes from the function of money as a means of circulation. It is a symbol of money and has been circulating. Therefore, the issuance of paper money is limited to the actual amount of gold (or silver) represented by its symbol. If the issuance of paper money exceeds this limit, the total amount of paper money in circulation can only represent the original amount of gold, and the amount of gold represented by each unit of paper money will decrease. Therefore, its price scale function has changed. At this time, paper money depreciates, which affects the prices of all commodities. Although commodity prices have not changed, the overall price level has increased.
Therefore, the state should effectively grasp the currency circulation and control the overall price level by issuing paper money in a planned way based on the law of currency circulation. And too much paper money, in our country, is often because the total social demand exceeds the total supply. Therefore, it is necessary not only to balance the social supply and demand structure, but also to balance the total supply and demand, so as to control prices well. The excessive total social demand in China is generally driven by excessive product demand and capital investment in some important sectors of the national economy, especially basic industries. Therefore, we should grasp the key points and prevent the imbalance of total social supply and demand. The way to balance is to reduce demand and increase supply. These two methods should be combined. When reducing demand and investment, if the money is collected too quickly and too tightly, and the departments are not divided, it may affect economic development. Therefore, monetary tightening should be moderate and new investment should be precise. While tightening monetary policy, revitalize existing funds. In short, we should strengthen the adjustment of economic structure, cultivate and support new economic growth points, invest limited funds in weak links and important sectors of national economic development, do everything possible to increase production, improve economic efficiency, and better combine total control with structural adjustment. Only in this way can we not only curb inflation, but also maintain stable economic growth and gradually reduce prices to an appropriate level.
(4)
Macro-control and price stabilization are not enough. At the same time, we should gradually reduce commodity prices on a stable basis, especially those higher than those in the international market. If the price is at a low level, the competitiveness of goods will be strong, which is conducive to the development of foreign trade, national economy and the improvement of people's lives.
In the market competition, a single commodity producer improves his own technology in order to shorten a single labor time and obtain excess profits, but it also encourages other competitors to do so one after another. However, when the production technology is generally improved, the excess profits will disappear. Moreover, with other conditions unchanged, due to the development of science and technology, labor productivity will increase rapidly, so that the value of unit products will decrease with the increase of production quantity, and the price will also decrease accordingly. At this time, in order to compete for a much larger market and increase profits in the fierce competition, enterprises have to sell twice as many products at a lower price than before. The inherent requirement of falling commodity prices has been realized through competition. In this case, enterprises are bound to enter a new round of excess profit competition, so the value and price of goods are on a downward trend. In this process, it illustrates the great role of the law of value on the other hand.
Therefore, we must focus on the improvement of production technology and labor productivity, promote the transformation of economic growth mode from extensive to intensive, and create conditions for reducing commodity prices. At the same time, the state should closely combine the transformation of economic growth mode with the transformation of economic system, vigorously promote the transformation of economic system from the traditional planned economy system to the socialist market economy system, and better let the law of value promote scientific and technological progress with the help of the new system. Besides, we should give policy support to the development of science and technology.
From the above analysis of macro-control of prices, we can see that the state indirectly controls the price as a comprehensive reflection of the national economy by adjusting many factors that affect the value and price, that is, the use value, the circulation of paper money and the labor productivity. These methods are based on the requirements of the law of value. As far as market regulation is concerned, it also reflects the requirements and functions of the law of value. Therefore, the price problem is essentially a question of recognizing or not recognizing the law of value; Abiding by and applying the law of value is the key to deal with the price problem. This scientific conclusion has been proved by China's practice.
Precautions:
(1)(2) Marx: Das Kapital, Chinese version 1, Volume 3, Page 716,722, Beijing, People's Publishing House, 1975.
For reference.