Ep. 512 The Rise and Fall of the Labor Theory of Value

Ep. 512 The Rise and Fall of the Labor Theory of Value

June 15, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 512

About this episode

Bob Murphy critiques the labor theory of economic value, discussing its historical context and relevance.

Relying on his Journal of Libertarian Studies review essay of Kevin Carson' book on mutualism, Bob first explains--and then critiques--the labor (and cost) theory of economic value. This was not exclusively a Marxist idea; it was held by Adam Smith and other classical economists.

People in this episode

Host: Bob Murphy

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Marxist

Books & works: Journal of Libertarian Studies, mutualism

More episodes of Bob Murphy Show

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Bob Murphy Show podcast page.