This book analyzes key aspects of Marx's Capital with an eye towards its relevance for an understanding of issues confronting us in the 21st Century. The contributions to this volume suggest that while aspects of Marx's original analysis must be adjusted to take into account changes that have occurred since its initial publication in 1867, his overall perspective remains necessary for understanding the nature of crises in 21st century. Part I emphasizes the central concepts Marx employed in Capital, including exploitation, capital accumulation, commodity fetishism, and his use of dialectics as a method for baring the underlying relations that define capitalism. Parts II and III extend that focus by addressing the concept of value, fictitious capital, credit and financialization. Parts IV and V offer analyses of several concrete manifestations of contemporary crises from national contexts (Europe, Latin America, China, and the United States). The volume argues that we have to combat the imperatives of capitalism to move towards a more humane and egalitarian future.

Applies Marxist methods to several specific national contexts (China, continental Europe, England, the United States, and South America) Provides insights into topics like the utility of Marx's value theory, the process of capital accumulation, the role of credit and financialization in fomenting crisis, the spread of contingent and precarious work, and the role of education within capitalism Offers a diverse range of voices and methods from contributors in economics, philosophy, sociology, and history

Autorentext

Marc Silver is Professor of Sociology at Hofstra University, USA

Klappentext

This book analyzes key aspects of Marx's Capital with an eye towards its relevance for an understanding of issues confronting us in the 21st Century. The contributions to this volume suggest that while aspects of Marx's original analysis must be adjusted to take into account changes that have occurred since its initial publication in 1867, his overall perspective remains necessary for understanding the nature of crises in 21st century. Part I emphasizes the central concepts Marx employed in Capital , including ** exploitation, capital accumulation, commodity fetishism, and his use of dialectics as a method for baring the underlying relations that define capitalism. Parts II and III extend that focus by addressing the concept of value, fictitious capital, credit and financialization. Parts IV and V offer analyses of several concrete manifestations of contemporary crises from national contexts (Europe, Latin America, China, and the United States). The volume argues that we have to combat the imperatives of capitalism to move towards a more humane and egalitarian future.

Inhalt

1. Introduction - Confronting Capitalism: Lessons from Marx's Capital.- 2. Marx's 'Ultimate Aim' in Capital Was.- 3. Marx and Commodity Fetishism Some Remarks on Method.- 4. Late Marx and the Conception of 'Accumulation of Capital'.- 5. Form Analysis, Space and Spatial Struggle.- 6. The Transformation Problem and Value Form: Methodological Comments.-7. Value Forms and the Structure of the Capitalist System.- 8. Marx's Musings on Financial Crises: Credit and Crises in the Mid-19th Century Gold Standard.- 9. Marx on Financial Intermediation: Lessons from the French Crédit Mobilier.- 10. The Ambiguous Role of China's Collective Land Ownership Under Global Capitalism.- 11. Beyond the 'Pink Tide': Dependent Capitalism in Crisis in Argentina and Lessons to be Learned for Radical Social Change.- 12. The Final Fiction: Madoff Clawback Suits and Their Implications for Capitalism in the 21st Century.- 13. Navigating the Scylla and Charybdis of Precarious Work: Through the Storm of Contingency.- 14. What if Our Schools Are Working? Base, Superstructure, and Hegemony in Education.- 15. Demographic Changes, Pension Reforms, and Absolute Surplus Value: Intertemporal Exploitation in Contemporary Capitalism.- 16. Readings of Capital: A Starting Point for Reinventing A Socialist Politics.