Publication
Title
Why did Marx's Capital remain unfinished? On some old and new arguments
Author
Abstract
Many reasons have been advanced why Capital remained unfinished. Marx's bad health seriously hampered his research and writing, but this was much more so in the early 1860s, than in the 1870s. Also, after 1872, Marx's other commitments had become much less time-consuming. During the decade and until his death, Marx studied agronomy, geography, geology, ethnology and mathematics, making extensive notes, but his scientific output was relatively small. Other reasons that have been advanced are allegedly incorrect solutions to theoretical problems, such as the transformation of labor values into prices of production, the secular behavior of the rate of profit, the expanded reproduction of the capitalist economy, or how non-capitalist societies would evolve. Except for his theories of expanded reproduction, and economic and financial crisis, which clearly awaited further elaboration, most of these reasons are unconvincing. However, being a perfectionist, Marx was permanently searching for new material to further substantiate his theory, accumulating notes that he was unable to integrate into his manuscript of Volumes II and III of Capital.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Science and society: an independant journal of Marxism. - New York, N.Y.
Publication
New York, N.Y. : 2020
ISSN
0036-8237
DOI
10.1521/SISO.2020.84.1.13
Volume/pages
84 :1 (2020) , p. 13-41
ISI
000504915100002
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 05.02.2020
Last edited 06.01.2025
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