Books

First editions of volumes II and III, revised second edition of volume I, forming a complete set of Das Kapital, Marx's polemical masterpiece, the culmination of nearly 25 years of research. The most significant and influential analysis of capitalism ever written, Das Kapital became the bible of Marxist movements and governments. The first edition of the first volume was published in 1867. Marx revised the text for the present second edition of 1872, and contributed a new ten-page afterword. Following Marx's death in 1883, the second and third volumes were edited from Marx's manuscripts and seen through the press by Friedrich Engels - the second volume published in 1885, and the third volume (in 2 parts) 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 all presented themselves as his heirs. Whether he would recognise them as such is quite another matter... Nevertheless, within one hundred years of his death half the world's population was ruled by governments that professed Marxism to be their guiding faith. His ideas have transformed the study of economics, history, geography, sociology and literature. Not since Jesus Christ has an obscure pauper inspired such global devotion - or been so calamitously misinterpreted." (Francis Wheen, in his introduction to Karl Marx, 1999). Three volumes bound in 4, octavo. Buch I: 210 x 208 mm, contemporary black half cloth, rebacked with original spine laid down, preserving contemporary paper label (chipped with loss), marbled paper sides. Buch II: 207 x 136 mm, near-contemporary black quarter morocco-grain roan, spine lettered in gilt, marbled paper sides. Buch III (in Two vols.): 216 x 135 mm, contemporary brown half morocco, orange and black labels, marbled sides and endpapers. Buch II bound without the terminal imprint leaf, and pp. 155/6 in cancelled state. Light rubbing, some light browning and foxing to contents as usual. Buch I with errata bound at front (with paper repair in gutter, and to facing dedication leaf). Buch II with ownership blindstamp to title with 2 small patches of loss, small chip to fore margin of pp. 271/2. Buch III with contemporary label of "Lewald Karlsruhe" to front pastedowns. A very good set. Rubel 633, 635, 636.

"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.