Meaning of Das Kapital
Das Kapital is known as one of the most popular literary works of Karl Marx. He was a 19th-century philosopher and economist. In the book, he expanded his theory related to the entire capitalist system, the dynamics that it has, and the tendency of capitalism towards self-destruction.
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The word Das Kapital in English stands for Capital. In the book, he described the purpose of his work as the economic laws related to motions of modern society. The book had its first volume published in the year 1867 in Berlin. The 2nd and the 3rd Volume that Friedrich Engel, his collaborator edited, was published in the years 1885 and 1994.
Concept and Meaning of Das Kapital
Almost all of the parts of the book Das Kapital by Karl Max describe the concept related to the surplus-value of labour and the consequences that it has for capitalism. According to the author, the population pressure was not responsible for driving wages to subsistence level. It was actually the large army of individuals who were unemployed. Karl Marx blamed the capitalists for such a situation.
He also mentioned that in a capitalist society, labour was just a commodity that could gain subsistence wages and nothing more. However, capitalists were provided with the authority to force the labourers so that they would spend more time on their jobs than required.
Since all profit is a result of labour exploitation, the rate of profit is actually dependent on the different number of labourers that are employed. Machines cannot really be exploited and hence they don’t have an actual contribution to make into profits. However, these machines are helpful in assisting the labourers to produce better products that are more useful. Students can gain further information about the concepts of the book from Das Kapital PDF.
According to the book, payroll capital or variable capital tends to be pretty productive and provides surplus value along with profit as well. When machines are introduced, it can be useful for the entrepreneur as well. He gets to have a competitive edge against his rivals. However, profit declines when there is an increase in machinery related to an increase in wages. Thus, the capitalist is able to receive less return and can postpone the act of bankruptcy by pressurizing the workers more. Ultimately, according to Das Kapital Summary, the capitalist class turns unfit for the ruling. As a result, it collapses. The approach that Karl Marx used to describe capitalism in his book was pretty empirical in nature.
Different Underlying Themes in Das Kapital
There are some themes observed by the readers in Karl Marx’s Das Kapital. By careful study of the book, one might be able to come across these important themes.
In the book, Marx makes an observation that the reason for such a motivating force provided to capitalism is labour exploitation. According to the book, the unpaid work of the labourers is often the major source of surplus waste. The owner has the right to the surplus value which is created because they belong to the ruling regime through the existence of property rights and much more.
Wage labour can be defined as the trade unit in a capitalist world. Moreover, it is seen that commerce basically has no morality beyond the need to sell and buy goods as well as services. So, the growth of the entire market system is made through discrete entities related to the legal, moral, and economic spheres of society.
According to Das Kapital Quotes, the process of economically forming a society can be seen as a natural historical process. Hence, an economist is easily able to objectively make an observation regarding the capitalism laws.
Certain economic crises such as depression and recession have their roots in the contradictory character portrayed by the economic value that a commodity has. In a capitalist society, these can be seen as certain conditions that tend to propitiate the entire proletarian revolution.
For an economy that has capitalism in its centre, aspects such as technological advancements have their very own role to play. The increased production of technology relates to the amount of material wealth that is created in a country. However, it also has an important role to play in eliminating the actual economic value. Hence, it diminishes the rate of profit. This can be seen as a particular paradox characteristic related to the economic crisis that takes place in a properly capitalist society.
Conclusion
The following article talks about Das Kapital which is arguably one of the most important works of Karl Marx. With the help of this article, students will be able to figure out the answers to the questions such as who wrote Das Kapital and what the book is trying to portray.
FAQs on Das Kapital
1. Who wrote Das Kapital and when was it published?
Das Kapital was written by the famous German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. The first volume, which was the only one published in his lifetime, came out in 1867. His close collaborator, Friedrich Engels, later edited and published the second and third volumes in 1885 and 1894, based on Marx's detailed notes.
2. What is the main idea presented in Das Kapital?
The central idea of Das Kapital is a detailed analysis and critique of the capitalist system. Marx argues that capitalism is fundamentally based on the exploitation of the working class. He explains how profit is generated through a concept he called 'surplus value', which is created by workers but captured by the owners of capital.
3. How many volumes does Das Kapital consist of?
Das Kapital is made up of three main volumes. While Karl Marx wrote the material for all three, he only managed to publish the first one himself. The remaining two were completed and published by his friend Friedrich Engels after Marx's death.
4. Why is Das Kapital considered such an important book in history?
Das Kapital is historically significant because it provides one of the most thorough critiques of capitalism ever written. Its ideas have deeply influenced economics, sociology, and political theory. It also laid the theoretical groundwork for major political movements like socialism and communism that shaped the 20th century.
5. What does 'surplus value' mean in the context of Das Kapital?
Surplus value is a core concept in the book. It refers to the value a worker produces beyond what they are paid in wages. For instance, if a worker creates goods worth ₹500 in a day but only receives a wage of ₹100, the remaining ₹400 is the surplus value. Marx argued that this surplus is the source of the capitalist's profit.
6. In what ways does Das Kapital critique capitalism?
The book critiques capitalism by identifying what Marx saw as its core flaws. These include:
- It leads to the exploitation of labour, where workers are not paid the full value of their work.
- It creates ever-widening class divisions and inequality in society.
- It is naturally unstable and prone to recurring economic crises.
- It causes alienation, where workers feel disconnected from the products they create and their own labour.
7. What is the main difference between 'Das Kapital' and 'The Communist Manifesto'?
The key difference lies in their purpose and style. 'The Communist Manifesto' is a short, energetic political pamphlet meant to inspire the working class to revolution. In contrast, 'Das Kapital' is a very long, dense, and academic book that provides the deep economic theory and evidence to support the political claims made in the Manifesto. One is a call to action, while the other is the detailed research behind it.
8. Why do many people find Das Kapital difficult to read?
Das Kapital is often considered a challenging read for several reasons. It discusses complex economic and philosophical ideas in great depth. Furthermore, Marx's writing style is academic and dense, and since it was written in the 19th century, its language and historical context can be unfamiliar to modern readers.
