Das Kapital

Discuss the fetishism of commodities in Capital. What is the wider significance of fetishism in Marx’s economic analysis? How does it reflect some of the contradictions of the capitalist system? What examples, if any, of fetishism exist in today’s capitalist economies?

What is the labor theory of value? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this theory? What factors, if any, may Marx have overlooked? How does the labor theory of value relate to materialist ideas of base and superstructure?

Marx describes some of the debates that raged in his own time around the legislation of workers’ rights. How do some of the issues raised in Capital compare to the labor issues of today? What has changed, and what remains the same?

How does Marx depict the uses of machinery in Capital? What is the relationship between machinery and workers in the modern labor market? Does Marx’s analysis of this facet of capitalism still apply to modern conditions? Why or why not?

Analyze Marx’s ideas about exploitation in both pre-capitalist and capitalist societies. How do different modes of production affect the nature and effects of exploitation?

In your own words, how would you describe Marx’s “economic paradox” (532)? Why is it a paradox? How does this relate to Marx’s broader use of paradox and contradiction throughout his work?

Compare and contrast Marx’s economic theories with that of an economist he criticizes, such as Adam Smith or David Ricardo. In what ways do Marx’s views align with, or differ from, those of the other economist? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each thinker? Which economist’s theories do you find the most convincing, and why?

Analyze the role of colonialism in Marx’s analysis. How does Marx depict colonialism and its effects? What is the relationship between domestic capitalism in Victorian England and its colonial endeavors abroad?