Books

Hamburg: Verlag Otto Meissner, 1867. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1st Edition. Hardcover. 8vo (212 x 132 mm). xii, 784 pp. Contemporary German half cloth over marbled boards, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, marbled edges (a few minor repairs to spine ends and paper over boards). Light even age toning internally, very minor occasional spotting, slight dust marking at upper margin from previously inserted bookmarks and a few light creases and dog-ears in places. Provenance: annotated throughout in light pencil by a learned reader in shorthand German; from a German aristocratic collection. A very good, clean copy. ---- FIRST EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE MODERN ERA. Only this first volume was published in Marx's lifetime; his friend and supporter Friedrich Engels edited and published volume II in 1885 and volume III in 1894. "The history of the twentieth century is Marx's legacy. Stalin, Mao, Che, Castro -- the icons and monsters of the modern age have…

"Das Kapital," written by Karl Marx, is a seminal work critiquing the capitalist system's foundations and mechanisms. Published in 1867, this extensive analysis of capitalism delves into its economic processes, the exploitation inherent within, and its eventual contradictions which Marx believed would lead to its downfall. Marx introduces key concepts such as commodity, value, surplus value, and the labor theory of value, arguing that the value of a commodity is determined by the labor required for its production. He criticizes how capitalists profit by exploiting workers, paying them less than the value of their labor while selling the products for their full value. Marx's critique extends to the dynamics of capital accumulation, technological advancements, and their effects on the proletariat, predicting increasing capital centralization and crises stemming from capitalism's internal contradictions. "Das Kapital" covers the circulation and distribution of capital, explaining how surplus value is divided among different classes and sectors, leading to cycles of boom and bust. Despite its influence, "Das Kapital" has faced criticism for its total failure in economic predictions, such as the underestimation of capitalism's adaptability and the overemphasis on the labor theory of value. Critics argue Marx's predictions of escalating class struggle and the proletariat revolution have not materialized as expected, questioning his views on human nature and the efficiency of market mechanisms. Nonetheless, "Das Kapital" remains a pivotal work in economic and political thought, offering a deep, if wrong, critique of capitalism and its socio-economic impacts.