▁relations ▁of ▁production ▁and ▁distribution . ▁Thus , ▁as ▁follows : ▁X ▁quantity ▁of ▁product ▁= ▁Y ▁quantity ▁of ▁average ▁labour ▁hours ▁= ▁Z ▁quantity ▁of ▁gold - m oney ▁ ▁Marx ' s ▁idea ▁is ▁effectively ▁that ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁trad ed ▁products ▁is ▁the ▁" object ified ▁expression " ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁social ▁valu ation ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁labour ▁imp licated ▁in ▁producing ▁them . ▁For ▁Marx , ▁labour ▁itself ▁has ▁no ▁value ▁in ▁b our ge ois ▁society , ▁only ▁a ▁price . ▁Only ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁human ▁work ▁have ▁value ; ▁the ▁labour ▁has ▁to ▁material ize ▁itself ▁in ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁object ▁which ▁has ▁value , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁owned ▁for ▁a ▁price ▁or ▁a ▁fee . ▁The ▁importance ▁of ▁labour ▁is ▁its ▁ability ▁to ▁preserve ▁capital ▁value , ▁increase ▁already ▁existing ▁value , ▁and ▁create ▁wh olly ▁new ▁value . ▁How ▁any ▁individual ▁happens ▁to ▁regard ▁a ▁particular ▁product ▁normally ▁cannot ▁change ▁that ▁social ▁valu ation ▁at ▁all ; ▁it ' s ▁simply ▁a ▁" social ▁fact " ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁" the ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁market " ▁is ▁a ▁social ▁fact , ▁even ▁though ▁particular ▁products ▁can ▁at ▁any ▁time ▁trade ▁at ▁prices ▁above ▁or ▁below ▁their ▁soci ally ▁established ▁value . ▁ ▁Marx ▁realized ▁very ▁well , ▁that ▁the ▁assumption ▁of ▁gold - m oney ▁was ▁a ▁simpl ification — there ▁might ▁not ▁be ▁such ▁a ▁stable ▁relationship ▁between ▁price - level s , ▁average ▁comm od ity ▁values , ▁and ▁gold ▁quantities