Let us examine the series of equations in which the exchange value of a commodity finds its concrete expression, e. g.:
| 1 yard of linen | = | 2 lbs. of coffee. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 yard of linen | = | 1/2 lb. of tea. |
| 1 yard of linen | = | 8 lbs. of bread, etc. |
These equations simply signify that equal quantities of universal social labor-time are embodied in one yard of linen, two pounds of coffee, half a pound of tea, etc. But as a matter of fact the individual labors which are represented in these particular use-values, become universal, and, in that form, also social labor, only when they are actually exchanged for one another in proportion to the labor-time contained in them. Social labor-time exists in these commodities in a latent state, so to say, and is first revealed in the process of exchange. We do not proceed from the labor of individuals as social labor, but, on the contrary, from special labor of private individuals which appears as universal social labor only by divesting itself of its original character in the process of exchange. Universal social labor is, therefore, no ready-made assumption, but a growing result.