I’ve been reading Capital off and on for months and this is a seemingly pretty important difference that I don’t understand. Is there a difference between surplus labor and profit, and if so, what is it? Any explanations, links, or chapters in Capital I should check out are appreciated.
You could say they are the same thing looked at from different points of view, or that it is surplus value while in production and turns into profit in circulation. They probably also have historical differences when looked at beyond the era of capitalism.
This would make the terms easier to think about, not sure if its the conventional use of the terms though…
Surplus value is unrealized profit. Revenue > than costs during a period of time
Profit is capital removed from the enterprise. [Total Revenue - Removed Revenue] During a Time Period = realized Profit