Books

8vo. XII, 784 pp. Slightly later half cloth with marbled covers. Stored in custom-made cloth case with gilt spine label. First edition: a fine copy of one of the most influential books ever published. The exceedingly rare first volume was the only one to be completed by Marx in his lifetime, while the second and third volumes were completed posthumously by Engels from Marx's papers (1885 and 1894). "The history of the twentieth century is Marx's legacy [.] 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" (Wheen). "Marx himself modestly described 'Das Kapital' as a continuation of his 'Zur Kritik der politischen Oekonomie', 1859. It was in fact the summation of a quarter of a century's economic studies, mostly in the Reading Room of the British Museum" (PMM). - Stamp of the Würzburg Volksbildungsverein on title page (slightly trimmed at bottom during rebinding ca. 1900). Occasional slight staining to edges near beginning, not touching text; a few pencil annotations by an economic scholar, ca. 1900. Altogether a tight, well-preserved specimen. - PMM 359. Rubel 633. Wheen, Marx, p. 299 ff. Books That Made Europe, p. 238.

"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.