Das Kapital Capital: Critique of Political Economy

2902 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Views of marx on religion

Introduction
Karl Marx is well renowned as a master of philosophical critique; such a statement can be proven justifiable in one of his most notable works titled Das Kapital in German or Capital: Critique of Political Economy. It is important to understand the roots to which Karl Marx established his desire of discovering, as well as answering his curiosities of philosophical ideas. Thirty years of Marx's time was spent developing a critical analysis that reveals the economic laws and reality of the capitalist system and mode of production. Marx's focus was not subjected to simply revealing the nature of the capitalist economy and system, he aimed to reveal the social and historical forces that influenced and formed relations amongst society within and outside the realm of trade.
History
Karl Marx was born May 5th, 1818 in Trier, Kingdom of Prussia. Third of nine children, he was privately educated until enrolling in Trier High School at the age of 12. By the age of 17, Marx enrolled at the University of Bonn, his father was persistent upon the idea that Marx study law due to its practicality, Marx felt the need to study philosophy and literature. However, the University of Bonn had a reputation for containing a rebellious and vigorous culture. Marx lasted two semesters due to his actions of drunkenness and disturbing the peace, which landed him in prison (Biography, 2013). Marx later moved to Berlin and studied law and philosophy at the University of Berlin, where he found his passion for philosophical ideas of G.W.F. Hegel. Marx became involved with the Young Hegelians which were a radical group of students that were known for critiquing political and religious ideas and foundations at the time (Biography, 2013). Graduating w...

... middle of paper ...

... Television. Web. 20 Dec. 2013. http://www.biography.com/people/karl-marx-9401219?page=2
Marx, Karl. (1867). "Capital: A Critique of Political Economy." Economic Manuscripts: Capital: Volume One. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/
Marx, Karl. (1867). "Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Vol. I. The Process of Capitalist Production." Marx, Capital, Volume I. Web. 19 Dec. 2013. http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Marx/mrxCpA.html
Ricardo, David. (1817). "On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation." Library of Economics and Liberty. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. http://www.econlib.org/library/Ricardo/ricP2.html#Ch.4, On Natural and Market Price
Smith, Nicole. (2011). "Summary and Analysis of Das Kapital by Karl Marx." Article Myriad. Web. 20 Dec. 2013. http://www.articlemyriad.com/summary-analysis-das-kapital-marx/

Show More
Related

  • Karl Marx’s Theory of the Capitalist Economic System

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Karl Marx’s was a German philosopher, economist and evolutionary socialist born in Germany on May 5th 1818. His theories mostly consisted of the capitalist economic system. Marx’s attended the University of Bonn and University of Berlin. He is widely recognized for his theory of on the class system which included the concepts of base and super-structure. Marx’s theory of the class system is well exhibited by the documentary film, Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class.

    Read More

  • The Origin Of Capitalism: Richard Biernacki, Richard, And Ellen Meiksins Wood

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Biernacki, Richard, and Ellen Meiksins Wood. “The Origin of Capitalism.” Contemporary Sociology 2000 : 638. Print.

    Read More

  • Influence of Sociological Variables on Perception

    2549 Words  | 6 Pages

    Up until the age of twelve, Marx was educated at home, most likely from his mother. From 1830 to 1835, Marx attended the Friedrich-Wilhelm Gymnasium, which was the Jesuit high school located in Trier. He was classically educated in subjects such as history, mathematics, literature and other languages. Marx learned to fluently read and write in French and Latin. As an advanced scholar he continued to learn by teaching himself to read English, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian and Dutch. Although he could articulate the English language relatively well, Marx never lost his thick German accent. In an attempt to fulfill his father’s desire that he become a lawyer and follow in his footsteps, Marx began studying law at the University of Bonn inn1835. His stay was short-lived due to unsatisfactory behavior according to his father. Marx was frequently disturbing the peace, was rebellious, was imprisoned for being intoxicated and got into physical altercations with other cohorts. In 1836 his father enrolled him in the University of Berlin. He remained more grounded and focused while studying both law and philosophy. Marx then received a doctorate from the University of Jena in 1841. His aspirations of becoming a professor were put to an end because of his radical political views and he had trouble securing a steady

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Marxism

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ideology of Marxism, established by German philosopher Karl Marx, is a collectively known set of assumptions of a political ideology, which focuses especially on analysis of materialist interpretation of historical development, or on class struggle within the society. The primarily approach of Marxism, nonetheless, was the critique of capitalism. The strength of his inquiry lies in belief of inevitable shift from capitalism and he aims to advocate the new form of ideology and economy, the socialism. The title of this essay is provocative as in today´s world, there exist many proponents who claim, the core of Marx conception of ideology is still relevant in the 21st globalised world. However, Marxism is relevant to the extent to which is it important to examine every political and economic conception, moreover if we are able to perceive its outcomes after the concepts has been practically applied. This paper is intended to assess key ideas of Marxism with observations of positives and negatives it brought and the reasons why the concepts failed.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx

    2423 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844” is a collection of writings that appear to be intended to be a book. These manuscripts provide important information about the the way in which Marx interpreted history, particularly the ways in which the revolution of the proletariat and the future prevalence of communism as the result of historical progression. It also tells the historical story of man's alienation.

    Read More

  • Differentiating Marx and Rousseau

    2202 Words  | 5 Pages

    In his Manifesto of the Communist Party Karl Marx created a radical theory revolving not around the man made institution of government itself, but around the ever present guiding vice of man that is materialism and the economic classes that stemmed from it. By unfolding the relat...

    Read More

  • Karl Marx and a Capitalist Society

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Marx, the 'capitalist mode of production' is a product of the 'industrial revolution' and the division of labor coming from it. By virtue of this division,...

    Read More

  • The Ideology of Karl Marx on Sociology

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    The German thinker, Karl Marx (1818-1883), wanted to understand and explain the changes that occurred in society at the time of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. (ibid) In 1843 Marx met Engels in Paris. It marked the beginning of a lifelong of friendship and professional collaboration. In 1848 Marx and Engels published “The Communist Manifesto”. The Manifesto outlined the struggles between classes. From then onwards it has become apparent that Marx was not an economist. His theories are a combination of economics, history, sociology and politics. Marx moved to London in 1849 where he spent the rest of his life.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx and Capitalism

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Karl Marx’s critique of political economy provides a scientific understanding of the history of capitalism. Through Marx’s critique, the history of society is revealed. Capitalism is not just an economic system in Marx’s analysis. It’s a “specific social form of labor” that is strongly related to society. Marx’s critique of capitalism provides us a deep understanding of the system to predict its pattern and protect ourselves from its negative sides.

    Read More

  • The Historical Leader: Karl Marx

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tucker, R. C. (1978). In “Wage Labor and Capital” in The Marx-Engels Reader. New York, NY:

    Read More

  • The Political Philosophy of Karl Marx

    2291 Words  | 5 Pages

    Karl Marx had very strong viewpoints in regards to capitalism, making him a great candidate for this assignment. People constantly debate over whether his ideologies held any grain of truth to them. I believe that although not everything Marx predicted in his writings has come true (yet), he was definitely right on about a lot of issues. As a matter of fact, his teachings can definitely be applied to today’s society. This paper will give a summary of Marx’s political philosophy. It will also discuss a contemporary issue: the current economic crisis— and how Marx believed racism played a crucial a role in it. Finally, through the lens he has developed, I will explain how Marx would analyze this issue and how one can argue that it spurred the current movement known as Occupy Wall Street.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx's Theory Of Socialism In Society

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    Karl Marx emphasized a lot on the importance of socialism in society. In his theory, socialism was the only way to end the huge in socio-economic classes. He condemned the emergence of capitalism and the growth of industries that made disunited employers and employees as captured in his theory of labour. In his view, under capitalist production, a great number of people, more often than not, are confiscated from their rewards after so much hard work, and have utterly no control over the environment in which they work under. Jobs no longer reflect human imagination, but rather an insignificant method of generating more profits to enrich modest elite. Marx 's fixation on class reflects even today 's post-modern, socially dynamic world. Marx ideas

    Read More

  • The Sociological Contribution of Karl Marx to an Understanding of Contemporary Society

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Sociological Contribution of Karl Marx to an Understanding of Contemporary Society. This essay will discuss how the Karl Marx contributed his knowledge to the understanding of contemporary society. Karl Marx is often referred to. as the ‘intellectual father of modern day Marxist economics’.

    Read More

  • Marxism And Marxism

    1266 Words  | 3 Pages

    He is known worldwide for his numerous theories and ideas in regards to society, economics and politics. His outlook on these subjects is known as Marxism. Marxism focuses on the imbalance and struggle between classes and society. Marx’s theories stem from the concept of materialism based society and the implications thereof. These concepts leads to the Marxist theory of the failure of capitalism. Marx had a number of specific reasons for the downfall of capitalism yet capitalism remains very real and successful. Marxism covers a wide range of topics and theories, but an in depth analysis of his criticism to capitalism and how it is not relevant to modern day will be explored.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx's Advantages And Disadvantages Of Capitalism

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Karl Marx was a philosopher, a sociologist, economist, and a journalist. His work in economics laid a foundation for the modern understanding of distribution of labor, and its relation to wealth generation. His theories about the society, economic structure and politics, which is known as Marxism led to him developing social classes. He later on showed how social classes were determined by an individual’s position in relation to the production process, and how they determine his or her political views. According to Karl Marx, capitalism was a result of the industrial revolution. Capitalism is a system that has been founded on the production of commodities for the purpose of sale. Marx defined the

    Read More

More about Das Kapital Capital: Critique of Political Economy

Open Document