Abstract
The first volume of Marx’s Capital (1867) is subtitled ‘The production process of capital’. This reveals the twofold object of the book of, first, an outline of the capitalist form of production — that is, in contradistinction to other modes of production — and, second, the production of capital itself — that is, its continuity. There are again two aspects to this object. The first is highlighted in the middle part of the book — Parts Three to Six — on the production of surplus-value. It sets out how the production of surplus-value (profit) is the motive force of capital, how surplus-value is actually produced and so how capital grows. The second aspect is the resulting process of accumulation of capital — treated in the end part of the book.
I am grateful for the stimulating comments by Chris Arthur, Riccardo Bellofiore, Martha Campbell, Fred Moseley, Patrick Murray, Tony Smith and Nicola Taylor. I also thank my Amsterdam colleague Mark Blaug for his comments.
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Reuten, G. (2004). Productive Force and the Degree of Intensity of Labour: Marx’s Concepts and Formalizations in the Middle Part of Capital I . In: Bellofiore, R., Taylor, N. (eds) The Constitution of Capital. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403938640_5
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