As Kapital

Capital (Das Kapital)

Karl Marx's seminal work, "Capital (Das Kapital)," delves into the intricacies of capitalist society through a rigorous analysis of economic systems, labor, and commodities. With a blend of philosophical discourse and economic theory, Marx employs a dialectical method that challenges contemporary capitalist ideologies. His exploration of concepts such as surplus value, alienation, and class struggle reveals the inherent contradictions within capitalism, making it a foundational text in both economics and political theory, notably influencing subsequent schools of thought, including socialism and critical theory. Marx, born in Prussia in 1818, was profoundly shaped by the socio-economic turbulence of his time, which included the Industrial Revolution and the rise of bourgeois capitalism. An ardent philosopher and economist, Marx spent much of his life analyzing the relationship between labor and capital. His long-standing collaboration with Friedrich Engels, as well as his immersion in contemporary social and political movements, fueled his desire to articulate the struggles of the working class, culminating in this masterwork. "Capital" is more than a profound treatise on economics; it is a clarion call to assess the socio-political structures that govern our lives. Readers interested in understanding the roots of modern capitalism, as well as its critiques, will find this book indispensable. Marx's insights continue to resonate, prompting essential discussions about equity, labor rights, and the future of economic systems. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions. - The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing. - A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation. - A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists. - A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths. - Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts. - Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.

Capital ...

Das Kapital: Critique of Political Economy (Part III)

Published in 1894 by Friedrich Engels from Karl Marx’s remaining manuscripts, Das Kapital: Critique of Political Economy, Part III (Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Ökonomie. Buch III), subtitled The Process of Capitalist Production as a Whole, completes the structural arc begun in the earlier volumes by turning to the forms of appearance that capital takes at the surface of society—profit, interest, rent, and the financial sphere. Whereas Volume I treated the secret of surplus value and Volume II the formal circulation of capital, this volume exposes how these foundational dynamics are concealed beneath categories that appear spontaneous and self-justifying. Marx works through these economic forms not as accidental distortions but as necessary illusions, generated by the system itself in the process of reproducing its internal logic on a social scale. Here the system of capital takes on its most mystified and seemingly autonomous shape, as profit appears severed from labor, and capital seems to generate value of its own accord. The movement through the trinity formula—capital-profit, land-rent, labor-wages—masks the origins of value and cloaks exploitation in the naturalized language of distribution. The reader is drawn into a structure of thought that unfolds with a rigorous internal logic, one that renders the contradictions of accumulation and crisis not as empirical accidents but as determinate forms of motion. In these final formulations, Marx’s categories move with a certain inevitability, animated by their own inner tensions, giving the appearance of a system that is both law-bound and yet riddled with immanent instability. The theoretical clarity of the work belies the spectral quality of its subject: a world governed by abstractions that live through concrete human relations, yet obscure them entirely. This modern Critical Reader’s Edition includes an illuminating afterword tracing Marx’s intellectual relationships with revolutionary thinkers and philosophers (including Hegel, Feuerbach, Engels, and Ricardo), containing unique research into his ideological development and economic-metaphysical theories, a comprehensive timeline of his life and works, a glossary of Marxist terminology, and a detailed index of all of Marx’s writings. This professional translation renders Marx’s dense, dialectical prose into modern language to preserve the original force and precision of the text. Combined with the scholarly amplifying material, this edition is an indispensable exploration of Marx’s classic works and his enduring Hegelian-Protestant influence in the political, religious, economic, and philosophical spheres.