[PEN-L:11320] Re: Capitalist development

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, I would further note that the chapter Louis quotes from is "The Genesis of the Industrial Capitalist", in contrast with the immediately previous chapter on "The Genesis of the Farming Capitalist". So, Marx says the "CHIEF momenta"  of the primitive accumulation of the INDUSTRIAL capitalist were in the colonial labors. I take "chief" to mean "main".

There really is no way to do anything but talk past each other if Duchesne is explicitly rejecting a Marxist labor theory of value. I mean that's sort of the purpose of the neo-classical school : to counter Marx, who was the most rational developer of the classical political economists. Marx did such a good job that the bourgeoisie  had to invent a whole new theory different from their own classical political economists. This becomes clear on this thread by the fact that ,as Jim D. pointed out,  Adam Smith thought the colonial system was an important factor in the takeoff of European capitalism.

Once labor theory of value is ditched, then the old game is on: the "superior rationality" , "creative inventiveness" and "entrepreneurship , trading, or circulation activities" leading to highly productive inventions,  European unique respect for the individual  all  become the "true" source of the greater wealth of Europe at this time. Even "work ethic" has to be dropped, because that would imply measuring who was doing the most work, which Duchesne thinks is an obviously flawed method of determining who created all the wealth of original capitalism in Europe.

The big question that Duchesne and Hay still have not even tried to address is why these super rational, creative Europeans spent such enormous resources and time in their colonies. No doubt it was carrying out the primitive White Man's Burden, bringing their newly created wealth, rationality and inventiveness to the colored peoples of the world as civilization. Perhaps Hay and Duchesne have some stats ( based on records kept by these great heroic liberals) on a net flow of wealth and reason from Europe to the colonies, with only decorative gold and silver trinkets flowing to Europe as a symbolic reward.

Thank God for White People !

Charles Brown


>>> Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx> 09/20/99 11:11AM >>>
Charles: Do you grant that Marx himself, in the Section in _Capital_ on the
primitive accumulation, very much thought that the colonial labor and trade
were important in the origin and primitive accumulation of capitalism ?

LNP: Of course, this is Marx's view.  I understand that Duchesne is coming
from an explicitly non-Marxist standpoint, but I am not sure what Hay's
interpretation is based on. In any case, it collides with what Marx wrote
in ch. 31 of Capital, Volume 1:

"The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement
and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the
conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a
warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signalised the rosy dawn
of the era of capitalist production. These idyllic proceedings are the
chief momenta of primitive accumulation. On their heels treads the
commercial war of the European nations, with the globe for a theatre. It
begins with the revolt of the Netherlands from Spain, assumes giant
dimensions in England's Anti-Jacobin War, and is still going on in the
opium wars against China, &c.

"The different momenta of primitive accumulation distribute themselves now,
more or less in chronological order, particularly over Spain, Portugal,
Holland, France, and England. In England at the end of the 17th century,
they arrive at a systematical combination, embracing the colonies, the
national debt, the modern mode of taxation, and the protectionist system.
These methods depend in part on brute force, e.g., the colonial system.
But, they all employ the power of the State, the concentrated and organised
force of society, to hasten, hot-house fashion, the process of
transformation of the feudal mode of production into the capitalist mode,
and to shorten the transition. Force is the midwife of every old society
pregnant with a new one. It is itself an economic power."

Louis Proyect

(http://www.panix.com/~lnp3/marxism.html)