Introduction

Abstract

In this Introduction, besides a synthesis of each chapter of the book, a brief exposition is made on the structure and main themes of the book, as well as on the itinerary of investigations that more than 20 years ago led some of the collaborators of this collection to the systematic study of the fundamental characteristics and contemporary specificities of the current stage of the evolution of capital: the domination of fictitious capital over other forms of capital, together with which it forms a contradictory totality. In this sense, it is argued that the book presents a close reading of fictitious capital and the place it holds in the Marxist exposure of the process of autonomization and subjectivation of capital, emphasizing the power and topicality of the work of Marx. This Introduction also highlights that from the analysis of today’s dynamic of capital accumulation, guided by the appropriation of fictitious profits, the authors provide an explanation of the recent economic crises, investigating above all the 2007–8 crisis, and make considerations about the gloomy prospects for capitalism in the immediate future.