Capital : overview of the main topics and theses
Outline 0 Background 1 Methodology and structure 2 Simple commodity circulation 3 Production process of capital 4 Circulation process of capital 5 Total process of capital
0 Background Marx as an economist Marx has a university education in philosophy Strong influence of political involvements on his attitude towards economics He is a self-made economist synthesizing different strands of contemporary thought at his time If at all, mostly polemical communication with other economists Pre-normal state of (social) science
0 Background Books and manuscripts of the Capital Evolving plan of his economic work Original plan (Plan of 6 Books) 1858 Of Capital Of landed property Of wage labour Of the state Of international trade Of world market Plan of 4 books 1863ff Capital History of Political Economy State International trade
0 Background Books and manuscripts of the Capital /cont. Only volume I published during his life time Manuscripts for volume II Manuscripts for volume III Revolving research process between the different levels of analysis/presentation (Heinrich 2009, pp 86)
Methodology 1)What is the meaning of historical materialism and how is this concept realized in the Capital? 2)What distinguishes the method of presentation from the method of inquiry in science? 3)What are the main features of the dialectical method? 4)(How) Can the method in the Capital be classified in modern epistemological terms?
1 Methodology and structure Essential features of Marx s methodology Subject matter has historic specificity General and not historical Systemic and not parceled Dialectic and not simply deductive or inductive Dualistic and not one-dimensional Not positivist but related to observable circumstances Circular proceeding ( Zirkellauf der Darstellung )
1 Methodology and structure Structure of theoretical concept Processes dealt with in the different volumes/manuscripts of Capital I II III Production process Surplus value Circulation process Simple commodity circulation Capitalist circulation Whole process Accumulation Profit and rate of profit Credit (interest) Ground (rent)
1 Methodology and structure Structure of theoretical concept Scope Elaborations of Marx are confined to the realm of capital Extensions in terms of state and international trade intended but not realized Circuit of capital as the background P C M C
1 Methodology and structure Structure of theoretical concept Circuit of capital as the background/cont. Isolation of different phases (volume I of Capital ) Simple commodity production Production process of capital Accumulation process P C M C P C M C P C M C P C M C
1 Methodology and structure Structure of theoretical concept Circuit of capital as the background/cont. Abstract consideration of the whole circuit (vol. II) Forms of the circuit in the first parts of the manuscripts related to the circulation process of capital C M C M C C C M C Reproduction schema in the last part of the manuscripts related to the circulation process of capital C M C M C M C C C
1 Methodology and structure Structure of theoretical concept Circuit of capital as the background/cont. Concrete consideration of the whole circuit Profit(-rate) as the overarching category Multitude of capitals: competition Long run tendencies: tendency of the rate of profit to fall Separation of specialized capitals: commercial, interestbearing, (ground) rent M C P C M M C P C M M C P C M M M