Thevalueofthenewproductfurtherincludes:theequivalentofthevalueofthelabour—powertogetherwithasurplus—value。Thisissobecausethevalueofthelabour—power?soldforadefinitelengthoftime,sayaday,aweek,etc。?islessthanthevaluecreatedbyitsuseduringthattime。Buttheworkerhasreceivedpaymentfortheexchange—valueofhislabour—powerandbysodoinghasalienateditsuse—value?thisbeingthecaseineverysaleandpurchase。
Thefactthatthisparticularcommodity,labour—power,possessesthepeculiaruse—valueofsupplyinglabour,andthereforeofcreatingvalue,cannotaffectthegenerallawofcommodityproduction。If,therefore,themagnitudeofvalueadvancedinwagesisnotmerelyfoundagainintheproduct,butisfoundthereaugmentedbyasurplus—value,thisisnotbecausethesellerhasbeendefrauded,forhehasreallyreceivedthevalueofhiscommodity;itisduesolelytothefactthatthiscommodityhasbeenusedupbythebuyer。
Thelawofexchangerequiresequalityonlybetweentheexchange—valuesofthecommoditiesgiveninexchangeforoneanother。Fromtheveryoutsetitpre—supposesevenadifferencebetweentheiruse—valuesandithasnothingwhatevertodowiththeirconsumption,whichonlybeginsafterthedealisclosedandexecuted。
Thustheoriginalconversionofmoneyintocapitalisachievedinthemostexactaccordancewiththeeconomiclawsofcommodityproductionandwiththerightofpropertyderivedfromthem。Nevertheless,itsresultis:
(1)thattheproductbelongstothecapitalistandnottotheworker;
(2)thatthevalueofthisproductincludes,besidesthevalueofthecapitaladvanced,asurplus—valuewhichcoststheworkerlabourbutthecapitalistnothing,andwhichnonethelessbecomesthelegitimatepropertyofthecapitalist;
(3)thattheworkerhasretainedhislabour—powerandcansellitanewifhecanfindabuyer。
Simplereproductionisonlytheperiodicalrepetitionofthisfirstoperation;eachtimemoneyisconvertedafreshintocapital。Thusthelawisnotbroken;onthecontrary,itismerelyenabledtooperatecontinuously。
"Severalsuccessiveactsofexchangehaveonlymadethelastrepresentthefirst"(Sismondi,"NouveauxPrincipes,etc。,"p。70)。
Andyetwehaveseenthatsimplereproductionsufficestostampthisfirstoperation,insofarasitisconceivedasanisolatedprocess,withatotallychangedcharacter。"Ofthosewhosharethenationalincomeamongthemselves,theoneside(theworkers)acquireeveryyearafreshrighttotheirsharebyfreshwork;theothers(thecapitalists)havealreadyacquired,byworkdoneoriginally,apermanentrighttotheirshare"(Sismondi,l。c。,pp。110,111)。Itisindeednotoriousthatthesphereoflabourisnottheonlyoneinwhichprimogenitureworksmiracles。
Nordoesitmatterifsimplereproductionisreplacedbyreproductiononanextendedscale,byaccumulation。Intheformercasethecapitalistsquandersthewholesurplus—valueindissipation,inthelatterhedemonstrateshisbourgeoisvirtuebyconsumingonlyaportionofitandconvertingtherestintomoney。
Thesurplus—valueishisproperty;it,hasneverbelongedtoanyoneelse。Ifheadvancesitforthepurposesofproduction,theadvancesmadecomefromhisownfunds,exactlyasonthedaywhenhefirstenteredthemarket。Thefactthatonthisoccasionthefundsarederivedfromtheunpaidlabourofhisworkersmakesabsolutelynodifference。IfworkerBispaidoutofthesurplus—valuewhichworkerAproduced,then,inthefirstplace,Afurnishedthatsurplus—valuewithouthavingthejustpriceofhiscommoditycutbyahalf—penny,and,inthesecondplace,thetransactionisnoconcernofB’swhatever。WhatBclaims,andhasarighttoclaim,isthatthecapitalistshouldpayhimthevalueofhislabour—power。"Bothwerestillgainers:
theworkerbecausehewasadvancedthefruitsofhislabour"(shouldread:
oftheunpaidlabourofotherworkers)"beforetheworkwasdone"(shouldread:beforehisownlabourhadbornefruit);"theemployer(lemaître),becausethelabourofthisworkerwasworthmorethanhiswages"(shouldread:producedmorevaluethanthevalueofhiswages)。(Sismondi,l。c。,p。135。)
Tobesure,thematterlooksquitedifferentifweconsidercapitalistproductionintheuninterruptedflowofitsrenewal,andif,inplaceoftheindividualcapitalistandtheindividualworker,weviewintheirtotality,thecapitalistclassandtheworking—classconfrontingeachother。Butinsodoingweshouldbeapplyingstandardsentirelyforeigntocommodityproduction。
Onlybuyerandseller,mutuallyindependent,faceeachotherincommodityproduction。Therelationsbetweenthemceaseonthedaywhenthetermstipulatedinthecontracttheyconcludedexpires。Ifthetransactionisrepeated,itisrepeatedasthe—resultofanewagreementwhichhasnothingtodowiththepreviousoneandwhichonlybychancebringsthesamesellertogetheragainwiththesamebuyer。
If,therefore,commodityproduction,oroneofitsassociatedprocesses,istobejudgedaccordingtoitsowneconomiclaws,wemustconsidereachactofexchangebyitself,apartfromanyconnexionwiththeactofexchangeprecedingitandthatfollowingit。Andsincesalesandpurchasesarenegotiatedsolelybetweenparticularindividuals,itisnotadmissibletoseekhereforrelationsbetweenwholesocialclasses。
Howeverlongaseriesofperiodicalreproductionsandprecedingaccumulationsthecapitalfunctioningto—daymayhavepassedthrough,italwayspreservesitsoriginalvirginity。Solongasthelawsofexchangeareobservedineverysingleactofexchangethemodeofappropriationcanbecompletelyrevolutionisedwithoutinanywayaffectingthepropertyrightswhichcorrespondtocommodityproduction。Thesesamerightsremaininforcebothattheoutset,whentheproductbelongstoitsproducer,who,exchangingequivalentforequivalent,canenrichhimselfonlybyhisownlabour,andalsointheperiodofcapitalism,whensocialwealthbecomestoanever—increasingdegreethepropertyofthosewhoareinapositiontoappropriatecontinuallyandeverafreshtheunpaidlabourofothers。
Thisresultbecomesinevitablefromthemomentthereisafreesale,bythelabourerhimself,oflabour—powerasacommodity。Butitisalsoonlyfromthenonwardsthatcommodityproductionisgeneralisedandbecomesthetypicalformofproduction;itisonlyfromthenonwardsthat,fromthefirst,everyproductisproducedforsaleandallwealthproducedgoesthroughthesphereofcirculation。Onlywhenandwherewage—labourisitsbasisdoescommodityproductionimposeitselfuponsocietyasawhole;butonlythenandtherealsodoesitunfoldallitshiddenpotentialities。Tosaythatthesuperventionofwage—labouradulteratescommodityproductionistosaythatcommodityproductionmustnotdevelopifitistoremainunadulterated。Totheextentthatcommodityproduction,inaccordancewithitsowninherentlaws,developsfurther,intocapitalistproduction,thepropertylawsofcommodityproductionchangeintothelawsofcapitalistappropriation。[8]
Wehaveseenthateveninthecaseofsimplereproduction,allcapital,whateveritsoriginalsource,becomesconvertedintoaccumulatedcapital,capitalisedsurplus—value。Butinthefloodofproductionallthecapitaloriginallyadvancedbecomesavanishingquantity(magnitudoevanescens,inthemathematicalsense),comparedwiththedirectlyaccumulatedcapital,i。e。,withthesurplus—valueorsurplus—productthatisreconvertedintocapital,whetheritfunctionsinthehandsofitsaccumulator,orinthoseofothers。Hence,PoliticalEconomydescribescapitalingeneralas"accumulatedwealth"(convertedsurplus—valueorrevenue),"thatisemployedoveragainintheproductionofsurplus—value,"[9]andthecapitalistas"theownerofsurplus—value。"[10]Itismerelyanotherwayofexpressingthesamethingtosaythatallexistingcapitalisaccumulatedorcapitalisedinterest,forinterestisamerefragmentofsurplus—value。[11]
SECTION2。ERRONEOUSCONCEPTION,BYPOLITICALECONOMY,OFREPRODUCTIONONAPROGRESSIVELY
INCREASINGSCALE
Beforewefurtherinvestigateaccumulationorthereconversionofsurplus—valueintocapital,wemustbrushononesideanambiguityintroducedbytheclassicaleconomists。
Justaslittleasthecommoditiesthatthecapitalistbuyswithapartofthesurplus—valueforhisownconsumption,servethepurposeofproductionandofcreationofvalue,solittleisthelabourthathebuysforthesatisfactionofhisnaturalandsocialrequirements,productivelabour。
Insteadofconvertingsurplus—valueintocapital,he,onthecontrary,bythepurchaseofthosecommoditiesandthatlabour,consumesorexpendsitasrevenue。Inthefaceofthehabitualmodeoflifeoftheoldfeudalnobility,which,asHegelrightlysays,"consistsinconsumingwhatisinhand,"andmoreespeciallydisplaysitselfintheluxuryofpersonalretainers,itwasextremelyimportantforbourgeoiseconomytopromulgatethedoctrinethataccumulationofcapitalisthefirstdutyofeverycitizen,andtopreachwithoutceasing,thatamancannotaccumulate,ifheeatsupallhisrevenue,insteadofspendingagoodpartofitintheacquisitionofadditionalproductivelabourers,whobringinmorethantheycost。Ontheotherhandtheeconomistshadtocontendagainstthepopularprejudice,thatconfusescapitalistproductionwithhoarding,[12]andfanciesthataccumulatedwealthiseitherwealththatisrescuedfrombeingdestroyedinitsexistingform,i。e。,frombeingconsumed,orwealththatiswithdrawnfromcirculation。Exclusionofmoneyfromcirculationwouldalsoexcludeabsolutelyitsself—expansionascapital,whileaccumulationofahoardintheshapeofcommoditieswouldbesheertomfoolery。[13]Theaccumulationofcommoditiesingreatmassesistheresulteitherofover—productionorofastoppageofcirculation。[14]Itistruethatthepopularmindisimpressedbythesight,ontheonehand,ofthemassofgoodsthatarestoredupforgradualconsumptionbytherich,[15]andontheotherhand,bytheformationofreservestocks;thelatter,aphenomenonthatiscommontoallmodesofproduction,andonwhichweshalldwellforamoment,whenwecometoanalysecirculation。Classicaleconomyisthereforequiteright,whenitmaintainsthattheconsumptionofsurplus—productsbyproductive,insteadofbyunproductivelabourers,isacharacteristicfeatureoftheprocessofaccumulation。Butatthispointthemistakesalsobegin。AdamSmithhasmadeitthefashion,torepresentaccumulationasnothingmorethanconsumptionofsurplus—productsbyproductivelabourers,whichamountstosaying,thatthecapitalisingofsurplus—valueconsistsinmerelyturningsurplus—valueintolabour—power。
LetusseewhatRicardo,e。g。,says:"Itmustbeunderstoodthatalltheproductionsofacountryareconsumed;butitmakesthegreatestdifferenceimaginablewhethertheyareconsumedbythosewhoreproduce,orbythosewhodonotreproduceanothervalue。Whenwesaythatrevenueissaved,andaddedtocapital,whatwemeanis,thattheportionofrevenue,sosaidtobeaddedtocapital,isconsumedbyproductiveinsteadofunproductivelabourers。Therecanbenogreatererrorthaninsupposingthatcapitalisincreasedbynon—consumption。"[16]TherecanbenogreatererrorthanthatwhichRicardoandallsubsequenteconomistsrepeatafterA。Smith,viz。,that"thepartofrevenue,ofwhichitissaid,ithasbeenaddedtocapital,isconsumedbyproductivelabourers。"
Accordingtothis,allsurplus—valuethatischangedintocapitalbecomesvariablecapital。Sofarfromthisbeingthecase,thesurplus—value,liketheoriginalcapital,dividesitselfintoconstantcapitalandvariablecapital,intomeansofproductionandlabour—power。labour—poweristheformunderwhichvariablecapitalexistsduringtheprocessofproduction。
Inthisprocessthelabour—powerisitselfconsumedbythecapitalistwhilethemeansofproductionareconsumedbythelabour—powerintheexerciseofitsfunction,labour。Atthesametime,themoneypaidforthepurchaseofthelabour—power,isconvertedintonecessaries,thatareconsumed,notby"productivelabour,"butbythe"productivelabourer。"AdamSmith,byafundamentallypervertedanalysis,arrivesattheabsurdconclusion,thateventhougheachindividualcapitalisdividedintoaconstantandavariablepart,thecapitalofsocietyresolvesitselfonlyintovariablecapital,i。e,islaidoutexclusivelyinpaymentofwages。Forinstance,supposeaclothmanufacturerconverts£2,000
intocapital。Oneportionhelaysoutinbuyingweavers,theotherinwoollenyam,machinery,&c。Butthepeople,fromwhomhebuystheyarnandthemachinery,payforlabourwithapartofthepurchasemoney,andsoonuntilthewhole£2,000arespentinthepaymentofwages,i。e,untiltheentireproductrepresentedbythe£2,000hasbeenconsumedbyproductivelabourers。Itisevidentthatthewholegistofthisargumentliesinthewords"andsoon,"whichsendusfrompillartopost。Intruth,AdamSmithbreakshisinvestigationoff,justwhereitsdifficultiesbegin。[17]
Theannualprocessofreproductioniseasilyunderstood,solongaswekeepinviewmerelythesumtotaloftheyear’sproduction。
Buteverysinglecomponentofthisproductmustbebroughtintothemarketasacommodity,andtherethedifficultybegins。Themovementsoftheindividualcapitals,andofthepersonalrevenues,crossandintermingleandarelostinthegeneralchangeofplaces,inthecirculationofthewealthofsociety;
thisdazesthesight,andpropoundsverycomplicatedproblemsforsolution。
InthethirdpartofBookII。Ishallgivetheanalysisoftherealbearingsofthefacts。ItisoneofthegreatmeritsofthePhysiocrats,thatintheirTableauéconomiquetheywerethefirsttoattempttodepicttheannualproductionintheshapeinwhichitispresentedtousafterpassingthroughtheprocessofcirculation。[18]
Fortherest,itisamatterofcourse,thatPoliticalEconomy,actingintheinterestsofthecapitalistclass,hasnotfailedtoexploitthedoctrineofAdam。Smith,viz。,thatthewholeofthatpartofthesurplus—productwhichisconvertedintocapital,isconsumedbytheworking—class。
SECTION3。SEPARATIONOFSURPLUS—VALUEINTOCAPITALANDREVENUE。THEABSTINENCETHEORY
Inthelastprecedingchapter,wetreatedsurplus—value(orthesurplus—product)
solelyasafundforsupplyingtheindividualconsumptionofthecapitalist。
Inthischapterwehave,sofar,treateditsolelyasafundforaccumulation。
Itis,however,neithertheonenortheother,butisbothtogether。Oneportionisconsumedbythecapitalistasrevenue,[19]theotherisemployedascapital,isaccumulated。
Giventhemassofsurplus—value,then,thelargertheoneoftheseparts,thesmalleristheother。Caeterisparibus,theratioofthesepartsdeterminesthemagnitudeoftheaccumulation。
Butitisbytheownerofthesurplus—value,bythecapitalistalone,thatthedivisionismade。itishisdeliberateact。Thatpartofthetributeexactedbyhimwhichheaccumulates,issaidtobesavedbyhim,becausehedoesnoteatit,i。e,becauseheperformsthefunctionofacapitalist,andenricheshimself。
Exceptaspersonifiedcapital,thecapitalisthasnohistoricalvalue,andnorighttothathistoricalexistence,which,touseanexpressionofthewittyLichnowsky,"hasn’tgotnodate。"Andsofaronlyisthenecessityforhisowntransitoryexistenceimpliedinthetransitorynecessityforthecapitalistmodeofproduction。But,sofarasheispersonifiedcapital,itisnotvaluesinuseandtheenjoymentofthem。butexchange—valueanditsaugmentation,thatspurhimintoaction。Fanaticallybentonmakingvalueexpanditself,heruthlesslyforcesthehumanracetoproduceforproduction’ssake;hethusforcesthedevelopmentoftheproductivepowersofsociety,andcreatesthosematerialconditions,whichalonecanformtherealbasisofahigherformofsociety,asocietyinwhichthefullandfreedevelopmentofeveryindividualformstherulingprinciple。Onlyaspersonifiedcapitalisthecapitalistrespectable。Assuch,heshareswiththemiserthepassionforwealthaswealth。Butthatwhichinthemiserisamereidiosyncrasy,is,inthecapitalist,theeffectofthesocialmechanism,ofwhichheisbutoneofthewheels。Moreover,thedevelopmentofcapitalistproductionmakesitconstantlynecessarytokeepincreasingtheamountofthecapitallaidoutinagivenindustrialundertaking,andcompetitionmakestheimmanentlawsofcapitalistproductiontobefeltbyeachindividualcapitalist,asexternalcoercivelaws。Itcompelshimtokeepconstantlyextendinghiscapital,inordertopreserveit,butextendithecannot,exceptbymeansofprogressiveaccumulation。
Sofar,therefore,ashisactionsareamerefunctionofcapital?endowedascapitalis,inhisperson,withconsciousnessandawill?hisownprivateconsumptionisarobberyperpetratedonaccumulation,justasinbook—keepingbydoubleentry,theprivateexpenditureofthecapitalistisplacedonthedebtorsideofhisaccountagainsthiscapital。Toaccumulate,istoconquertheworldofsocialwealth,toincreasethemassofhumanbeingsexploitedbyhim,andthustoextendboththedirectandtheindirectswayofthecapitalisp;[20]
Butoriginalsinisatworkeverywhere。Ascapitalistproduction,accumulation,andwealth,becomedeveloped,thecapitalistceasestobethemereincarnationofcapital。Hehasafellow—feelingforhisownAdam,andhiseducationgraduallyenableshimtosmileattherageforasceticism,asamereprejudiceoftheold—fashionedmiser。Whilethecapitalistoftheclassicaltypebrandsindividualconsumptionasasinagainsthisfunction,andas"abstinence"fromaccumulating,themodernisedcapitalistiscapableoflookinguponaccumulationas"abstinence"frompleasure。
"Twosouls,alas,dodwellwithinhisbreast;
Theoneiseverpartingfromtheother。"[21]
Atthehistoricaldawnofcapitalistproduction,?andeverycapitalistupstarthaspersonallytogothroughthishistoricalstage?avarice,anddesiretogetrich,aretherulingpassions。Buttheprogressofcapitalistproductionnotonlycreatesaworldofdelights;itlaysopen,inspeculationandthecreditsystem,athousandsourcesofsuddenenrichmenp;Whenacertainstageofdevelopmenthasbeenreached,aconventionaldegreeofprodigality,whichisalsoanexhibitionofwealth,andconsequentlyasourceofcredit,becomesabusinessnecessitytothe"unfortunate"capitalist。
Luxuryentersintocapital’sexpensesofrepresentation。Moreover,thecapitalistgetsrich,notlikethemiser,inproportiontohispersonallabourandrestrictedconsumption,butatthesamerateashesqueezesoutthelabour—powerofothers,andenforcesonthelabourerabstinencefromalllife’senjoyments。Although,therefore,theprodigalityofthecapitalistneverpossessesthebonâ—fidecharacteroftheopen—handedfeudallord’sprodigality,but,onthecontrary,hasalwayslurkingbehinditthemostsordidavariceandthemostanxiouscalculation,yethisexpendituregrowswithhisaccumulation,withouttheonenecessarilyrestrictingtheother。Butalongwiththisgrowth,thereisatthesametimedevelopedinhisbreast,aFaustianconflictbetweenthepassionforaccumulation,andthedesireforenjoyment。
Dr。Aikinsaysinaworkpublishedin1795:"ThetradeofManchestermaybedividedintofourperiods。First,whenmanufacturerswereobligedtoworkhardfortheirlivelihood。"Theyenrichedthemselveschieflybyrobbingtheparents,whosechildrenwereboundasapprenticestothem;
theparentspaidahighpremium,whiletheapprenticeswerestarved。Ontheotherhand,theaverageprofitswerelow,andtoaccumulate,extremeparsimonywasrequisite。Theylivedlikemisersandwerefarfromconsumingeventheinterestontheircapital。"Thesecondperiod,whentheyhadbeguntoacquirelittlefortunes,butworkedashardasbefore,"?fordirectexploitationoflabourcostslabour,aseveryslave—driverknows?"andlivedinasplainamannerasbefore……Thethird,whenluxurybegan,andthetradewaspushedbysendingoutridersforordersintoeverymarkettownintheKingdom……Itisprobablethatfewornocapitalsof£3,000
to£4,000acquiredbytradeexistedherebefore1690。However,aboutthattime,oralittlelater,thetradershadgotmoneybeforehand,andbegantobuildmodembrickhouses,insteadofthoseofwoodandplaster。"
Evenintheearlypartofthe18thcenturp;aManchestermanufacturer,whoplacedapintofforeignwinebeforehisguests,exposedhimselftotheremarksandheadshakingsofallhisneighbours。Beforetheriseofmachinery,amanufacturer’seveningexpenditureatthepublichousewheretheyallmet,neverexceededsixpenceforaglassofpunch,andapennyforascrewoftobacco。Itwasnottill1758,andthismarksanepoch,thatapersonactuallyengagedinbusinesswasseenwithanequipageofhisown。"Thefourthperiod,"thelast30yearsofthe18thcentury,"isthatinwhichexpenseandluxuryhavemadegreatprogress,andwassupportedbyatradeextendedbymeansofridersandfactorsthrougheverypartofEurope。"[22]WhatwouldthegoodDr。AikinsayifhecouldrisefromhisgraveandseetheManchesterofto—day?
Accumulate,accumulate!ThatisMosesandtheprophets!"Industryfurnishesthematerialwhichsavingaccumulates。"[23]Therefore,save,save,i。e,reconvertthegreatestpossibleportionofsurplus—value,orsurplus—productintocapital!Accumulationforaccumulation’ssake,productionforproduction’ssake:bythisformulaclassicaleconomyexpressedthehistoricalmissionofthebourgeoisie,anddidnotforasingleinstantdeceiveitselfoverthebirth—throesofwealth。[24]Butwhatavailslamentationinthefaceofhistoricalnecessity?Iftoclassicaleconomy,theproletarianisbutamachinefortheproductionofsurplus—value;ontheotherhand,thecapitalistisinitseyesonlyamachinefortheconversionofthissurplus—valueintoadditionalcapital。
PoliticalEconomytakesthehistoricalfunctionofthecapitalistinbitterearnest。Inordertocharmoutofhisbosomtheawfulconflictbetweenthedesireforenjoymentandthechaseafterriches,Malthus,abouttheyear1820,advocatedadivisionoflabour,whichassignstothecapitalistactuallyengagedinproduction,thebusinessofaccumulating,andtotheothersharersinsurplus—value,tothelandlords,theplace—men,thebeneficedclergy,&c。,thebusinessofspending。Itisofthehighestimportance,hesays,"tokeepseparatethepassionforexpenditureandthepassionforaccumulation。"[25]Thecapitalistshavinglongbeengoodliversandmenoftheworld,utteredloudcries。What,exclaimedoneoftheirspokesmen,adiscipleofRicardo,Mr。Malthuspreacheshighrents,heavytaxes,&c。,sothatthepressureofthespurmayconstantlybekeptontheindustriousbyunproductiveconsumers!
Byallmeans,production,productiononaconstantlyincreasingscale,runstheshibboleth;but"productionwill,bysuchaprocess,befarmorecurbedinthanspurredon。Norisitquitefairthustomaintaininidlenessanumberofpersons,onlytopinchothers,whoarelikely,fromtheircharacters,ifyoucanforcethemtowork,toworkwithsuccess。"[26]Unfairashefindsittospurontheindustrialcapitalist,bydeprivinghisbreadofitsbutter,yethethinksitnecessarytoreducethelabourer’swagestoaminimum"tokeephimindustrious。"Nordoesheforamomentconcealthefact,thattheappropriationofunpaidlabouristhesecretofsurplus—value。"Increaseddemandonthepartofthelabourersmeansnothingmorethantheirwillingnesstotakelessoftheirownproductforthemselves,andleaveagreaterpartofittotheiremployers;andifitbesaid,thatthisbegetsglut,bylesseningconsumption"(onthepartofthelabourers),"Icanonlyreplythatglutissynonymouswithlargeprofits。"[27]
Thelearneddisputation,howthebootypumpedoutofthelabourermaybedivided,withmostadvantagetoaccumulation,betweentheindustrialcapitalistandtherichidler,washushedinfaceoftherevolutionofJuly。Shortlyafterwards,thetownproletariatatLyonssoundedthetocsinofrevolution,andthecountryproletariatinEnglandbeganto,setfiretofarm—yardsandcorn—stacks。OnthissideoftheChannelOwenismbegantospread;ontheotherside,St。SimonismandFourierism。Thehourofvulgareconomyhadstruck。ExactlyayearbeforeNassauW。SeniordiscoveredatManchester,thattheprofit(includinginterest)ofcapitalistheproductofthelasthourofthetwelve,hehadannouncedtotheworldanotherdiscovery。
"Isubstitute,"heproudlysays,"forthewordcapital,consideredasaninstrumentofproduction,thewordabstinence。"’Anunparalleledsamplethis,ofthediscoveriesofvulgareconomy!Itsubstitutesforaneconomiccategory,asycophanticphrase?voilàtout。"Whenthesavage,"saysSenior,"makesbows,heexercisesanindustry,buthedoesnotpractiseabstinence。"[28]Thisexplainshowandwhy,intheearlierstatesofsociety,theimplementsoflabourwerefabricatedwithoutabstinenceonthepartofthecapitalist。
"Themoresocietyprogresses,themoreabstinenceisdemanded,"[29]namely,fromthosewhoplytheindustryofappropriatingthefruitsofothers’industry。Alltheconditionsforcarryingonthelabour—processaresuddenlyconvertedintosomanyactsofabstinenceonthepartofthecapitalist。Ifthecornisnotalleaten,butpartofitalsosown?abstinenceofthecapitalist。Ifthewinegetstimetomature?abstinenp;ofthecapitalist。[30]Thecapitalistrobshisownself,wheneverhe"lends(!)theinstrumentsofproductiontothelabourer,"thatis,wheneverbyincorporatinglabour—powerwiththem,heusesthemtoextractsurplus—valueoutofthatIabour—power,insteadofeatingthemup,steam—engines,cotton,railways,manure,horses,andall;orasthevulgareconomistchildishlyputsit,insteadofdissipating"theirvalue"inluxuriesandotherarticlesofconsumption。[31]Howthecapitalistsasaclassaretoperformthatfeat,isasecretthatvulgareconomyhashithertoobstinatelyrefusedtodivulge。Enough,thattheworldstilljogson,solelythroughtheself—chastisementofthismodernpenitentofVishnu,thecapitalist。Notonlyaccumulation,butthesimple"conservationofacapitalrequiresaconstantefforttoresistthetemptationofconsumingit。"[32]Thesimpledictatesofhumanitythereforeplainlyenjointhereleaseofthecapitalistfromthismartyrdomandtemptation,inthesamewaythattheGeorgianslave—ownerwaslatelydelivered,bytheabolitionofslavery,fromthepainfuldilemma,whethertosquanderthesurplus—product,lashedoutofhisniggers,entirelyinchampagne,orwhethertoreconvertapartofitintomoreniggersandmoreland。
Ineconomicformsofsocietyofthemostdifferentkinds,thereoccurs,notonlysimplereproduction,but,invaryingdegrees,reproductiononaprogressivelyincreasingscale。Bydegreesmoreisproducedandmoreconsumed,andconsequentlymoreproductshavetobeconvertedintomeansofproduction。Thisprocess,however,doesnotpresentitselfasaccumulationofcapital,norasthefunctionofacapitalist,solongasthelabourer’smeansofproduction,andwiththem,hisproductandmeansofsubsistence,donotconfronthimintheshapeofcapital。[33]RichardJones,whodiedafewyearsago,andwasthesuccessorofMalthusinthechairofPoliticalEconomyatHaileyburyCollege,discussesthispointwellinthelightoftwoimportantfacts。SincethegreatmassoftheHindupopulationarepeasantscultivatingtheirlandthemselves,theirproducts,theirinstrumentsoflabourandmeansofsubsistencenevertake"theshapeofafundsavedfromrevenue,whichfundhas,therefore,gonethroughapreviousprocessofaccumulation。"[34]Ontheotherhand,thenon—agriculturallabourersinthoseprovinceswheretheEnglishrulehasleastdisturbedtheoldsystem,aredirectlyemployedbythemagnates,towhomaportionoftheagriculturalsurplus—productisrenderedintheshapeoftributeorrent。Oneportionofthisproductisconsumedbythemagnatesinkind,anotherisconverted,fortheiruse,bythelabourers,intoarticlesofluxuryandsuchlikethings,whiletherestformsthewagesofthelabourers,whoowntheirimplementsoflabour。
Here,productionandreproductiononaprogressivelyincreasingscale,goontheirwaywithoutanyinterventionfromthatqueersaint,thatknightofthewoefulcountenance,thecapitalist"abstainer。"
SECTION4。CIRCUMSTANCESTHAT,INDEPENDENTLYOFTHEPROPORTIONALDIVISIONOFSURPLUS—VALUE
INTOCAPITALANDREVENUE,DETERMINETHEAMOUNTOFACCUMULATION。DEGREE
OFEXPLOITATIONOFLABOUR—POWER。PRODUCTIVITYOFLABOUR。GROWINGDIFFERENCE
INAMOUNTBETWEENCAPITALEMPLOYEDANDCAPITALCONSUMED。MAGNITUDEOFCAPITAL
ADVANCED
Theproportioninwhichsurplus—valuebreaksupintocapitalandrevenuebeinggiven,themagnitudeofthecapitalaccumulatedclearlydependsontheabsolutemagnitudeofthesurplus—value。Supposethat80percent。
werecapitalisedand20percent。eatenup,theaccumulatedcapitalwillbe£2,400or£200,accordingasthetotalsurplusvaluehasamountedto£3,000or£500。Henceallthecircumstancesthatdeterminethemassofsurplus—value,operatetodeterminethemagnitudeoftheaccumulation。Wesumthemuponceagain,butonlyinsofarastheyaffordnewpointsofviewinregardtoaccumulation。
Itwillberememberedthattherateofsurplus—valuedepends,inthefirstplace,onthedegreeofexploitationoflabour—power。PoliticalEconomyvaluesthisfactsohighly,thatitoccasionallyidentifiestheaccelerationofaccumulationduetoincreasedproductivenessoflabour,withitsaccelerationduetoincreasedexploitationofthelabourer。[35]Inthechaptersontheproductionofsurplus—valueitwasconstantlypre—supposedthatwagesareatleastequaltothevalueoflabour—power。Forciblereductionofwagesbelowthisvalueplays,however,inpracticetooimportantapart,forusnottopauseuponitforamoment。It,infact,transforms,withincertainlimits,thelabourer’snecessaryconsumption—fundintoafundfortheaccumulationofcapital。
"Wages,"saysJohnStuartMill,"havenoproductivepower;theyarethepriceofaproductivepower。Wagesdonotcontribute,alongwithlabour,totheproductionofcommodities,nomorethanthepriceoftoolscontributesalongwiththetoolsthemselves。Iflabourcouldbehadwithoutpurchase,wagesmightbedispensedwith。"[36]Butifthelabourerscouldliveonairtheycouldnotbeboughtatanyprice。Thezerooftheircostisthereforealimitinamathematicalsense,alwaysbeyondreach,althoughwecanalwaysapproximatemoreandmorenearlytoit。Theconstanttendencyofcapitalistoforcethecostoflabourbacktowardsthiszero。Awriterofthe18thcentury,oftenquotedalready,theauthorofthe"EssayonTradeandCommerce,"onlybetraystheinnermostsecretsoulofEnglishcapitalism,whenhedeclaresthehistoricmissionofEnglandtobetheforcingdownofEnglishwagestotheleveloftheFrenchandtheDutch。[37]Withotherthingshesaysnaively:"Butifourpoor"(technicaltermforlabourers)"willliveluxuriously……thenlabourmust,ofcourse,bedear……
Whenitisconsideredwhatluxuriesthemanufacturingpopulaceconsume,suchasbrandy,gin,tea,sugar,foreignfruit,strongbeer,printedlinens,snuff,tobacco,&C。"[38]HequotestheworkofaNorthamptonshiremanufacturer,who,witheyessquintingheavenwardmoans:"Labourisone—thirdcheaperinFrancethaninEngland;fortheirpoorworkhard,andfarehard,astotheirfoodandclothing。Theirchiefdietisbread,fruit,herbs,roots,anddriedfish;fortheyveryseldomeatflesh;andwhenwheatisdear,theyeatverylittlebread。"[39]"Towhichmaybeadded,"ouressayistgoeson,"thattheirdrinkiseitherwaterorothersmallliquors,sothattheyspendverylittlemoney……Thesethingsareverydifficulttobebroughtabout;buttheyarenotimpracticable,sincetheyhavebeeneffectedbothinFranceandinHolland。"[40]Twentyyearslater,anAmericanhumbug,thebaronisedYankee,BenjaminThompson(aliasCountRumford)followedthesamelineofphilanthropytothegreatsatisfactionofGodandman。His"Essays"areacookerybookwithreceiptsofallkindsforreplacingbysomesuccedaneumtheordinarydearfoodofthelabourer。Thefollowingisaparticularlysuccessfulreceiptofthiswonderfulphilosopher:"5lbs。ofbarleymeal,71/2d。;5lbs。
第49章