A Critical Note on Marx’s Theory of Profits

This paper shows that Marx’s theory of profits is based, implicitly, on the existence of a vertically integrated sector that (i) can produce the exact amount of commodities re-ceived as wages; (ii) includes all the processes of production actually used in the econ-omy considered; and (iii) constitutes a quasi-one-commodity system. Nevertheless, the said sector does not always exist, whilst when it exists, positive surplus labour is a nec-essary and sufficient condition for positive profits in this sector, pure and simple. Con-sequently, Marx’s theory of profits cannot be sustained.