The Law of Scarcity in Irigaray’s Woman on The Market

Irigaray’s “Women on the Market” somehow reminds me of the scarcity law in economy subject I have ever taken. The more rare the commodity is, the more it will be valued. It is an ancient myth that is last up till now. How each woman “[is] not [be] equally desirable”, as Irigiray argues, indicates how women as commodities have varied level of being desired.

My teacher taught me that the scarcity is the one, which rises up the value of the commodities. The scarcity is commonly caused by natural source(s), such as how gold being precious since one must dig or do other efforts to find it. Another example is gas. When the process of obtaining the commodity is longer, it possibly increases the scarcity as well.

Yet, there is also the scarcity which is unnatural since it can be obtained but in different results, such as skills in a service.  All designers have same skills, which are to make the fabric into the clothes, for example. Despite the same skill, they actually have their own styles and techniques. The different execution towards the fabric that decreases the possibility of imitation will definitely increase the value of such designers.

Now, if I look back into what Irigaray has stated, then in economy, including the women, will have these elements: the lack of self, the different desire, and the scare commodity. The lack of self-making one will exchange what one has more to gain what one has less. If the fulfillment of this type of lack encounters a lack, maybe what my senior high school teacher stated as basic needs, then, the society needs other motive to do another exchange activity to which is the fulfillment of desire.

This desire emerges when the basic needs have been filled. This desire will come up in various to individuals. The desire will follow the law of scarcity. The desire, the price or value, will rapidly decrease if the level of imitation is increase.