Capital: Volume 1

A Critique of Political Economy

De: Karl Marx, Samuel Moore - translation, Edward Aveling - translation

Narrado por: Derek Le Page

It can be said of very few books that the world was changed as a result of its publication - but this is certainly the case of Capital: A Critique of Political Economy by Karl Marx (1818-1883). Volume 1 appeared (in German) in 1867, and the two subsequent volumes appeared at later dates after the author's death - completed from extensive notes left by Marx himself.

Marx, famously writing in the Reading Room of the British Museum, set out to draw on theories of labour, money and economics developed by many key figures in previous centuries and then present a vivid picture of the effect of (as he saw it) the vicious exploitation of labour and the power-play and greed of that class of unprincipled businessmen - the capitalists. He starts by considering commodity, value and exchange. In doing so he looks at the basic processes involved in labour productivity and how it turns into excessive surplus value at the expense of the labourer himself. But do not think that that this is a dry analysis of the nuts and bolts of economics. Soon Marx, from extensive research, begins to outline the horrifying effect of the industrial revolution (for all its benefits) on the working man, woman and child, the blighting of their lives and slow, oh so slow, march of correcting Acts of Parliaments through the 19th century. These two threads - exploitation economics and the personal plight of the worker - continue to be developed side by side and intertwine with conclusions to become a truly powerful and emotional polemic.

Sometimes it becomes clear that his observations are hugely relevant to our 24 hour life, our gig economy and our international economy, with a frightening percentage of world wealth being held in a few hands. This is not an easy book but, especially in the hands of Derek Le Page, who has incorporated all the relevant footnotes (and they are extensive), it is a compelling listen. Whatever the nightmare of 20th century communism, to ignore this book is misjudge it. Marx said, 'Philosophers have previously tried to explain the world; our task is to change it'. And he meant it.

Translation: Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling.

Public Domain (P)2018 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Das Kapital

This is the Bible of the Working Classes!

You have nothing to lose but your chains and a world to win! Workers of the World, Unite!

Great recording

I had tried reading Das Kapital before but couldn’t get through it. Le Page brings it to life. He performs it and really voices Marx’s passion, outrage, and cutting sarcasm.

Long-winded but wise

This is much like a college lecture, boring and long, but imparting a lot of solid information and logic. The only evil thing Karl Marx has ever done is make people sit through 6+ hours of logic diagrams explaining how commodities derive value, lol. Ultimately, nothing he says is wrong, and his entire philosophy seems to be that if you push people to a breaking point, they revolt.

brilliant!

great translation expertly read
an amazing experience from start to finish
highly recommended essential reading for every person

That historical materialism is true.

Hard without a study group or help. Marxism is confusing until it isn't. Take the chapters individually and work through it.

Hammers it home

Most of this text is an extremely detailed documentation of industrialization in the UK and the horrors visited on the working class by factory owners. It's worth reading just to have hammered home the breadth and depth of the cruelty of people with wealth and no governments to hold them in check. -- The first couple chapters are economic theory, with some extraordinary ideas, and others to be taken with a grain of salt.

Very Informative Book

I read the book because I wanted to gain more insight into Karl Marx's views - beyond the catchphrase about his prediction of revolutions. I got that. The book also provided me with a window into the difficult living and working conditions of the poor in 19th century Europe. The book is very informative.

dense but insightful

Marx's writings can be difficult to follow, but it is still very interesting. my favourite part was the last third of the book where it focuses more on real people's experiences in their own words.

Beautiful narration

The reader does an exquisite job rendering the very difficult language contained in this book. I found his voice soothing at times, and at other times forceful and sarcastic, the way Marx might have read it. As for the book itself, this is a truly impressive, dare I say awe-inspiring work. This is the critique of capitalism and political economy that Marx spent 20 years writing, and his research and philosophy run very deep. He seemed to see further and understand more than anyone else in his field, and his ideas are perfectly applicable today. The book also drips with snark, which makes it even more fun to read. Highly recommend!

Classic Economics Text - A Good Listen

Capital is one of the half-dozen key economic texts of the past 200 years - and perhaps the most readable. Volume One contains the key material. How great to settle into a good reading.

Marx takes the labor theory of value as developed by Adam Smith and others and shows its implications for workers, managers, and owners - a worthy goal, and critical reading for anyone interested in economics regardless of your outlook.

No, Marx can't "prove" that labor is the basis of all economic value. That's because you can't prove ANY theory of value - you always wind up assuming what you set out to prove. All you can do is show the implications of starting from a particular theory.

What Marx shows is, IF you accept that labor is the core of economic value, here is how capitalism structures economic relations. He shows the source of profit (from the exploitation of productive labor, he famously concludes), how banks, insurance companies,and other non-productive firms fit into the picture, the role of management - and most of all, how working people are getting ripped off by owners, stock-holders, etc.

Big surprise, eh?

Basically, the labor theory of value makes sense to those of us who work for a wage or a fixed, contracted salary with no "stock options". For the managing and owning classes and those who dream of joining them, there are obvious incentives NOT to accept this theory. Suit yourself.

Have Marx's economic ideas ever been applied by "communist" countries? For the most part, no - so-called socialist countries have mainly applied totalitarian capitalist methods, with mixed results. Russia, China and the rest have been state-capitalist, not popular-socialist, systems.

We're still waiting for the world's first workers' democracy. The first steps include grasping how capital functions and how it structures our world. This recording is a welcome contribution.