Capitalism; Imperialism; Saving and investment; Socialism
The first comprehensive analysis of the accumulation of individual
capitals is given in volume i of Marx's _Capital_, section 7, chapters
22, 23. Here Marx treats of (_a_) the division of the surplus value into
capital and revenue; (_b_) the circumstances which determine the
accumulation of capital apart from this division, such as the degree of
exploitation of labour power and labour productivity; (_c_) the growth
of fixed capital relative to the circulating capital as a factor of
accumulation; and (_d_) the increasing development of an industrial
reserve army which is at the same time both a consequence and a
prerequisite of the process of accumulation. In the course of this
discussion, Marx deals with two inspired notions of bourgeois economists
with regard to accumulation: the 'theory of abstinence' as held by the
more vulgar economists, who proclaim that the division of surplus value
into capital, and thus accumulation itself, is an ethical and heroic act
of the capitalists; and the fallacy of the classical economists, their
doctrine that the entire capitalised part of the surplus value is used
solely for consumption by the productive workers, that is to say spent
altogether on wages for the workers employed year by year. This
erroneous assumption, which completely overlooks the fact that every
increase of production must manifest itself not only in the increased
number of employed workers but also in the increase of the material
means of production (premises, tools, and, certainly, raw materials) is
obviously rooted in that 'dogma' of Adam Smith which we have already
discussed. Moreover, the assumption that the expenditure of a greater
amount of capital on wages is sufficient to expand production, also
results from the mistaken idea that the prices of all commodities are
completely resolved into wages and surplus value, so that the constant
capital is disregarded altogether. Strangely enough, even Ricardo who
was, at any rate occasionally, aware of this element of error in Smith's
doctrine, subscribes most emphatically to its ultimate inferences,
mistaken though they were:
'It must be understood, that all the productions of a country are
consumed; but it makes the greatest difference imaginable whether they
are consumed by those who reproduce, or by those who do not reproduce
another value. When we say that revenue is saved, and added to capital,
what we mean is, that the portion of revenue, so said to be added to
capital, is consumed by productive, instead of unproductive
labourers.'[97]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account