Marx's Capitalism

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the beliefs of Karl Marx, the co-founder of communism and also a philosopher, revolutionary thinker and economist. It shows how he was a student of capitalism and his seminal thoughts on the dominant political economy of his time (and ours) are as relevant today as in the hey days of Soviet communism and its ascendancy in several parts of the world. It shows how his theories about the accumulation of wealth by the capitalist, the "surplus value" and the monopolistic tendency of the capitalistic economy give us a perspective of capitalism that continues to make the works of Karl Marx relevant in a post-communist twenty-first century.

Outline
A Stage of Social Development
How Does Money Accumulate with the Capitalist?
Where Does the Capitalist Get the Capital in the First Place?
Why does the Laborer work for the Capitalist?
The Big Fish eat the Small Fish
Competition itself Breeds Monopoly
Political Influence of Large Corporations
Constant Improvement
The Rich get Richer
Excess Capacity: Looking for Space
Unemployment in Capitalist Societies: A Deliberate Ploy?
Will Capitalism Continue to Survive?
Constant Improvement

From the Paper:

"The Marxist explanation of Capitalism is based on the surplus value provided by the laborer to the capitalist that lets him to accumulate capital and make his profit. The question, however arises that why does the worker work for the capitalist instead of working for himself and keeping the surplus value. Capitalism, by definition is a system in which the producers are the employees and do not have the means to own the equipment and material needed to produce the commodities. Although in certain societies and cases the workers may be forced to offer themselves as labor for the capitalists through coercion, more often than not, the conditions in most capitalist societies are such that the laborers' own equipment and other resources simply cannot compete with those of the capitalist."

More papers on Marx's Capitalism:

• Research Paper # 109327 : "Marx: Capitalism and Class"
• Term Paper # 125180 : "Capitalism or Communism?"
• Term Paper # 108426 : "Ecological Imperialism and Marx's Capitalism"
• Analytical Essay # 130078 : "Marx and Weber on Capitalism"

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