, ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁most ▁basic ▁level , ▁this ▁Ric ard ian ▁law ▁of ▁value ▁specified ▁" l abor - content " ▁as ▁the ▁subst ance ▁and ▁measure ▁of ▁economic ▁value , ▁and ▁it ▁suggests ▁that ▁trade ▁will — other ▁things ▁being ▁equal — e vol ve ▁towards ▁the ▁exchange ▁of ▁equival ents ▁( in so far ▁as ▁all ▁trad ing ▁partners ▁try ▁to ▁" get ▁their ▁money ' s ▁worth "). ▁At ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁trad ing ▁process ▁is ▁the ▁econom ising ▁of ▁human ▁time , ▁and ▁normal ▁trad ing ▁r ati os ▁become ▁known ▁to , ▁or ▁accepted , ▁by ▁economic ▁actors . ▁This ▁leads ▁naturally ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁value ▁will ▁" bal ance ▁out " ▁the ▁trad ing ▁process . ▁The ▁cor ollary ▁is ▁that ▁market ▁trade ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁intr ins ically ▁self - reg ulating ▁through ▁the ▁mut ual ▁adjust ments ▁of ▁supply ▁and ▁demand : ▁market ▁trade ▁sp ont ane ously ▁tends ▁towards ▁an ▁equilibrium ▁state . ▁ ▁Marx ' s ▁real ▁concern ▁was ▁to ▁understand ▁and ▁analyze ▁how ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁value ▁determ ines ▁or ▁regul ates ▁exchange , ▁i . e . ▁how ▁the ▁bal ancing ▁of ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁outputs ▁and ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁them ▁could ▁be ▁accomplished , ▁in ▁a ▁society ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁universal ▁market ▁such ▁as ▁capital ism , ▁and ▁how ▁this ▁was ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁labour - time . ▁Marx ' s ▁theory ▁specifically ▁a ims ▁to ▁grasp ▁capital ▁in ▁motion ,