Karl Marx/Capital1

This resource gives information on Karl Marx's Das Kapital (Capital), volume 1. It gives links to the different parts of the first volume, in which Marx offers a fundamental Critique of Political Economy.

The first volume of Capital was first published in 1867 in German. It was dedicated to the German schoolmaster and socialist Wilhelm Wolff, "intrepid, faithful, noble protagonist of the proletariat."

The first English translation was published 1887 in London by Swann Schonnenschein. It was translated by Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling, and edited by Friedrich Engels.

The first volume completely focuses on 'The Process of Production of Capital', as the subtitle explains.

It holds eight parts (and an appendix):

• Part 1: Commodities and Money; this first part holds three chapters:
  • Ch. 1: Commodites
  • Ch. 2: Exchange
  • Ch. 3: Money, or the Circulation of Commodities
• Part 2: The Transformation of Money into Capital
• Part 3: The Production of Absolute Surplus-Value
• Part 4: The Production of Relative Surplus-Value
• Part 5: The Production of Absolute and Relative Surplus-Value
• Part 6: Wages
• Part 7: The Process of Accumulation of Capital
• Part 8: So-Called Primitive Accumulation
• Appendix: Results of the Immediate Process of Production

No easy reading

The first volume of Capital deals with a number of very fundamental concepts of Marx's critique of political economy, like value, money, the labour theory of value, surplus value, the concept of capital, and a great number of historical studies on labour and capital.

The first volume, as it treats these fundamental concepts, can only be fully understood, if the development of Marx's thoughts is taken into account. Marx has extensively studied a great number of classical economists, like the Physiocrats, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Robert Malthus, James and John Stuart Mill. (see his Theories of Surplus Value, often considered as the fourth volume of Capital, written in 1862 and 1863, first published 1905-1910 in German; roughly 1500 pages in English translation, with 400 pages of Appendices etc.). Moreover Marx had a very extensive background in (Hegelian) philosophy and in political theory.

In the first chapters of Capital very fundamental, and very abstract thoughts are developed, concerning the nature of value in the capitalist mode of production. Marx's concept of surplus value is coined here. The concept of surplus value forms the basis of his theory of exploitation in capitalism. Surplus value also gives way to accumulation of capital. In this way the fundamental, and growing antagonism between labour and capital develops. Apart from that Capital holds extensive inquiries about the early development of capitalism and the so-called primitive accumulation, and the way in which the conflict between labour and capital develops in the different periods of capitalist development.

Especially the first chapters are sometimes considered difficult reading. There are some valuable tools for help, like for instance David Harvey's lectures and companion (2007-2022). One interesting thing of Harvey's work is that it often makes links to contemporary economic problems. Another comprehensive study guide is given by Harry Cleaver.

See also

• Das Kapital, volume 1 in English Wikipedia