Capital

Karl Heinrich MarxBeijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaAug 2017

Rating 4.6
Word count
238K words
Chapters
80
ISBN
9787550218222

Tags

Finance and Economics Intellectual EnlightenmentSocial CritiqueWestern ThoughtAcademic MonographModern China

Summary

This book is the fruit of Marx's forty years of labor: he read 1,500 titles and filled more than 400 notebooks. Translated into over 70 languages, it has sold two billion copies worldwide. It was the first work to analyze in depth capitalist commodity production, circulation, and distribution, revealing the objective laws of economic development—for example, the contradiction between private ownership of the means of production and the socialization of products, which is the basic contradiction of capitalism. It causes economic crises to recur periodically, and under the capitalist system this contradiction cannot be fundamentally resolved.

Editor's review

As the crowning work of Marx's lifework, Capital is far more than a mere treatise on economics. This edition from Beijing United Publishing Company, with its plain binding and relatively affordable price, makes this classic accessible to general readers. The book's core value lies in its profound revelation of the operating laws of the capitalist mode of production, especially the theory of surplus value, which remains an important intellectual tool for analyzing the structure of modern society.

From an editorial perspective, this edition's strength is that it preserves the theoretical depth of the original while enhancing readability through relatively clear typesetting. Marx's argument is tightly reasoned: starting from the basic cell of the commodity, he gradually unfolds his analysis of core concepts such as capital, labor, and value, ultimately constructing a grand theoretical system. Readers should note that the book cites extensively from nineteenth-century British economic data and social conditions; understanding the historical context is key to grasping the essence of its theory.

For contemporary readers, the value of reading Capital lies not only in understanding the historical development of capitalism, but also in the methodology it offers for critical thinking about modern social problems. Its analyses of alienated labor and the general law of capital accumulation can still inspire reflection on today's forms of work and distribution of wealth. Of course, readers need not accept every conclusion wholesale, but through reading they can cultivate the ability to examine social phenomena from the perspective of production relations.

Readers are advised to treat this book as an object of long-term study rather than fast reading. Beginners may find it difficult, but persevering through Volume One brings a sense of sudden clarity. Reading it alongside works on philosophy and economic history can better illuminate the theoretical origins and contemporary significance of Marx's thought.

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Reading tips

  1. Begin with the preface and Chapter One to grasp Marx's methodology and core concepts
  2. Keep a notebook to record key concepts and their derivation, helping clarify the logical thread
  3. Relate the book's theories to contemporary economic phenomena and attempt critical application

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 英文版序言
  3. 第1卷 资本的生产过程
  4. 第一篇 商品和货币
  5. 第一章 商品
  6. 第二章 劳动
  7. 第三章 价值形式或交换价值
  8. 第四章 货币形式
  9. 第二篇 绝对剩余价值的生产
  10. 第五章 劳动过程和价值增殖过程
  11. 第六章 不变资本和可变资本
  12. 第七章 剩余价值率
  13. 第八章 工作日
  14. 第九章 剩余价值率和剩余价值量
  15. 第三篇 相对剩余价值的生产
  16. 第十章 相对剩余价值
  17. 第十一章 协作
  18. 第十二章 分工和工场手工业
  19. 第十三章 机器和大工业
  20. 第四篇 绝对剩余价值和相对剩余价值的生产
  21. 第十四章 绝对剩余价值和相对剩余值
  22. 第五篇 工资
  23. 第十五章 劳动力价值的转化
  24. 第六篇 资本的积累过程
  25. 第十六章 简单再生产
  26. 第十七章 剩余价值转化为资本
  27. 第十八章 资本主义积累的一般规律
  28. 第十九章 原始积累
  29. 第2卷 资本的流通过程
  30. 第一篇 资本形态变化与循环
  31. 第一章 货币资本的循环
  32. 第二章 生产资本的循环
  33. 第三章 商品资本的循环
  34. 第四章 循环过程的三个公式
  35. 第五章 流通时间
  36. 第六章 流通费用
  37. 第二篇 资本周转
  38. 第七章 周转时间和周转次数
  39. 第八章 固定资本和流动资本
  40. 第九章 预付资本的总周转以及周转的周期
  41. 第十章 生产时间
  42. 第十一章 流通时间
  43. 第十二章 周转时间对预付资本量的影响
  44. 第十三章 可变资本的周转
  45. 第三篇 社会总资本的再生产和流通
  46. 第十四章 导言
  47. 第十五章 简单再生产
  48. 第十六章 积累和扩大再生产
  49. 第3卷 资本主义生产的总过程
  50. 第一篇 剩余价值转化为利润和剩余价值率转化为利润率
  51. 第一章 成本价格和利润
  52. 第二章 利润率
  53. 第三章 周转对利润率的影响
  54. 第四章 不变资本使用上的节约
  55. 第二篇 利润转化为平均利润
  56. 第五章 不同生产部门的资本的不同构成和由此引起的利润率的差别
  57. 第六章 一般利润率（平均利润率）的形成和商品价值转化为生产价格
  58. 第七章 一般利润率通过竞争而平均化市场价格和市场价值、超额利润
  59. 第八章 规律本身
  60. 第九章 起反作用的各种原因
  61. 第十章 规律的内部矛盾的展开
  62. 第三篇 商品资本和货币资本转化为商品 经营资本和货币经营资本（商人资本）
  63. 第十一章 商品经营资本
  64. 第十二章 商业利润
  65. 第十三章 商人资本的周转及价格
  66. 第四篇 利润分为利息和企业主的收入生息资本
  67. 第十四章 生息资本
  68. 第十五章 利润的分割利息率“自然”利息率
  69. 第十六章 利息和企业主收入
  70. 第十七章 信用和虚拟资本
  71. 第十八章 信用在资本主义生产中的作用
  72. 第十九章 货币资本和现实资本
  73. 第五篇 超额利润转化为地租
  74. 第二十章 导论
  75. 第二十一章 级差地租：概论
  76. 第六篇 各种收入及其源泉
  77. 第二十二章 三位一体的公式
  78. 第二十三章 分配关系和生产关系
  79. 关于本书
  80. 资本论

FAQ

Can I understand Capital without a background in economics? Yes, but patience is required. Marx's argument is self-contained, starting from the most basic concept of the commodity; follow its logic step by step and you can grasp the core ideas even without specialized training. Reading a companion guide alongside is recommended.
How does this edition differ from others? This is a popular edition with relatively clear typesetting and moderate annotations, suitable for first-time readers. For research purposes, consulting more authoritative scholarly editions for comparison is still advisable.
Is Capital still relevant for understanding contemporary society? Highly relevant. Although the specific data come from the nineteenth century, its basic framework for analyzing capitalism's internal contradictions—theories of surplus value, capital accumulation, and economic crises—still offers an important perspective for analyzing contemporary phenomena such as globalization and financialization.

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About the author

Karl Heinrich Marx Author · Germany · 1818–1883

Karl Heinrich Marx (1818–1883) was a German thinker, the founder of Marxism and a mentor of the proletarian revolution. Born in Trier, Germany, in 1818, he received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Jena in 1841. He later co-authored The German Ideology and The Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels, and published the first volume of Capital in 1867. He died in London in 1883. His works are commonly classified in the Chinese book market under finance, management and politics. The library holds five of his titles, including Capital, Capital (Value Platinum Edition), Illustrated Capital and the series Guided Reading of Marxist Classics, most of which center on political economy and have had a profound influence.