Acumulación Originaria del Capital - Karl Marx

Name: Acumulación Originaria del Capital - Karl Marx
Uploaded: 2020-10-23T01:02:05.000Z
Duration: 1 h 2 min 48 s

The Origins of Capitalism: A Historical Perspective

Introduction to Primitive Accumulation

Capitalism is described as emerging from violence and exploitation, contrasting with the feudal system where workers had land and means for survival.

Amilcar Paris Mandoki introduces the discussion on Chapter 24 of Karl Marx's Capital, focusing on "primitive accumulation" as a historical process essential for capitalism's emergence.

Key Sections of Marx's Analysis

The chapter consists of seven sections that outline how feudal peasants transitioned into proletarians, detailing changes in land ownership and the rise of the free market.

The first section, "The secret of original accumulation," sets the stage by explaining why this chapter is crucial for understanding capitalist production.

Expropriation and Wage Labor

The second section discusses how rural populations were dispossessed of their lands, forcing them into wage labor under new laws designed to control these expropriated individuals.

Following this, Marx explores the development of capitalist tenants who rent land from landlords while employing wage laborers.

Impact on Production Relations

The agricultural revolution significantly altered production relations, transitioning economies from self-consumption to market-oriented systems.

In "Genesis of the industrial capitalist," Marx highlights how colonialism and other factors transformed small capital into large industrial enterprises.

Continuation of Capitalist Exploitation

The final section emphasizes that capital's destructive processes persist beyond feudalism through ongoing attacks on private property rights.

Understanding Original Accumulation

Historical Context and Misconceptions

Original accumulation is often misrepresented in bourgeois political economy as a tale of industrious elites versus lazy masses; however, this narrative lacks empirical support.

Separation from Means of Labor

For capitalism to exist, there must be a division between those who own means of labor and those who only possess their labor power. This separation is fundamental to understanding capitalist dynamics.

Proletarianization Process

Marx argues that original accumulation involves violently separating workers from their means of subsistence, transforming them into proletarians reliant on wage labor.

Case Study: England’s Transition

Historical Example

While discussing expropriation processes across different regions, Marx uses England as a primary example due to its classical form during the transition from serfdom to independent peasantry.

The Transformation of Land Ownership and Labor in Early Modern England

The Shift from Feudalism to Capitalism

At the end of the 15th and early 16th centuries, feudal lords converted arable lands into prairies, reducing the need for labor and increasing profitability.

Despite legal principles protecting workers' rights, former peasants were expelled from their ancestral lands, leading to their transformation into proletarians.

The Protestant Reformation contributed to this process by facilitating the plunder of church property, which had previously supported many workers.

The Role of Legislation and Social Changes

The Catholic Church's vast landholdings were sold off at low prices, displacing serfs who worked these lands for generations.

Laws were enacted that forced poor individuals seeking charity into confinement or forced labor; opposition resulted in loss of aid rights.

Enclosure Movement and Its Consequences

Under the Stuarts' restoration, landlords claimed modern ownership over estates previously held under feudal titles, further dispossessing common people.

Enclosure laws allowed large landowners to legally seize communal lands, replacing independent peasants with small tenants vulnerable to eviction.

Urban Migration and Proletarianization

As rural workers lost their homes, they migrated en masse to cities where they became day laborers; this influx led to wage reductions due to increased competition.

Between 1765 and 1780, wages fell below subsistence levels, necessitating social welfare assistance for survival.

The Clearing of Estates: A Case Study

Marx discusses estate clearings exemplified by the Duchess of Sutherland's actions in transforming her county into sheep pastures through violent means.

Large territories once occupied by thousands of farm families were reduced to a mere thirty pastoral families after evictions.

Legislative Responses to Vagrancy

Expelled families sought new livelihoods but faced further displacement as landlords preferred leasing land for profit over supporting displaced individuals.

In the 18th century, Scots faced restrictions on emigration; many ended up in factory towns as part of a growing proletariat class.

Societal Impact and Legal Repercussions

Rapid urban migration outpaced industrial growth; many newly arrived city dwellers struggled with unemployment or turned to crime out of necessity.

The Punishment of Vagrancy and the Rise of Capitalism

Historical Context of Labor Punishments

Individuals denounced as lazy faced severe consequences, including being sent back to their birthplace, marked with a "V" on their chest, and forced into labor.

Unlicensed adult beggars during Elizabeth's reign risked having their ears cut off or being enslaved if no one claimed them.

In Europe, particularly in France and the Netherlands, laws punished healthy individuals without means by forcing them into hard labor like rowing galleys.

Marx highlights that it was not enough for workers to be separated from subsistence; they needed to be conditioned to accept wage labor as natural.

Wage Legislation and Worker Conditions

The 14th century saw the introduction of maximum wage legislation for farm workers, making higher wages a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.

By the 16th century, despite nominal increases in maximum wages, actual purchasing power decreased significantly for workers.

Workers lost rights to organize collectively post-French Revolution (1791), which was framed as protecting entrepreneurial freedom while limiting worker autonomy.

Emergence of Capitalist Tenants

The transition from large landowners to capitalist tenants involved serfs (Bailifs) becoming free tenants who hired laborers for land cultivation.

Capitalist tenants established fixed monetary contracts with landlords instead of proportional payments, often securing long-term agreements up to 99 years.

Economic Impact of Inflation

The influx of gold and silver from the Spanish Empire led to unprecedented inflation rates around 1.5% annually, benefiting tenant capitalists by increasing profits from crops while reducing relative costs paid to landlords.

Transformation in Production Relations

Changes in land ownership relations coincided with improved agricultural methods and increased cooperation among producers.

As rural populations were liberated from land ties, they became dependent on purchasing food produced by capitalist tenants rather than growing it themselves.

Shift in Worker Roles and Market Dynamics

Previously self-sufficient workers could no longer produce their own clothing or food; they now relied on factories for low-wage employment.

The Emergence of Industrial Capitalism

The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism

Marx argues that the emergence of industrial capitalism was not a gradual process but rather a significant transformation, marking the end of feudal relations.

He distinguishes between two forms of capital in the Middle Ages: usurious capital (money loaned with interest) and commercial capital (money used for trade).

The transition to industrial capitalism was fueled by colonial exploitation, including the enslavement and extermination of indigenous populations in America and Africa.

Factors Contributing to Industrial Capital

Key elements that enhanced usurious and commercial capital included colonial systems, public debt, modern tax collection, and protectionist policies.

Marx emphasizes that these transformations were underpinned by state violence, which facilitated the shift from feudal production methods to capitalist ones.

Colonial Exploitation as a Catalyst

The Dutch colonial administration exemplifies how capitalism thrived on human trafficking; young people were kidnapped for slavery in Indonesia.

In North America, Puritans incentivized violence against Native Americans, showcasing how genocide supported capitalist foundations.

Monopolies and Economic Growth

Mercantile monopolies (e.g., salt, opium, tea) generated immense wealth for commercial capitalists while ensuring raw material flow from colonized regions.

This concentration of capital allowed rapid maturation of commerce and navigation.

Public Debt and Tax Systems

Usurious capitals provided loans to states at interest rates; these debts could be transferred among banks without loss.

A new stock market emerged alongside government spending enabled by modern tax systems that increased living costs for citizens.

Protectionism's Role in Capitalist Development

Protectionist laws safeguarded local interests but also raised consumer prices through tariffs while eradicating industries in dependent countries like Ireland.

Marx critiques this violent transition into industry as marked by child labor exploitation during manufacturing shifts.

Historical Context and Evidence

Marx supports his claims with research from Frederick Morton Eden’s work on laboring classes in England, highlighting the brutal conditions faced by children forced into labor.

The Exploitation and Transformation of Labor in Capitalism

The Brutality of Labor Practices

Children were subjected to extreme forms of exploitation, including whipping and chaining, to maximize productivity. Their pay was directly tied to the amount they produced.

Night shifts were implemented, with one group working while another rested, highlighting the relentless nature of labor demands.

Historical Context of Slave Trade and Capitalism

Liverpool's rise as a commercial hub was significantly influenced by the slave trade, which facilitated large-scale cotton exports from the United States to England.

The relationship between slavery and capitalism is underscored by historical trends in capitalist accumulation.

Marx's Analysis of Capitalist Exploitation

Marx posits that once capitalism is established, it leads to new forms of exploitation among capitalists themselves through expropriation.

The concentration of capital results in fewer capitalists controlling more resources, leading to a cycle where capitalists expropriate each other.

Transformation within Capitalist Structures

Capitalism evolves from fragmentary private property based on individual labor into a more centralized form of capitalist private property.

This transformation indicates that capitalism gradually negates its own foundations as it develops.

Conditions for Modern Capitalism's Emergence

Key conditions for modern capitalism include the expropriation of land from workers, creating a free labor force and ensuring raw material availability.