InterestandProfitofEnterpriseInterest,aswehaveseeninthetwoprecedingchapters,appearsoriginally,isoriginally,andremainsinfactmerelyaportionoftheprofit,i。e。,ofthesurplus-value,whichthefunctioningcapitalist,industrialistormerchanthastopaytotheownerandlenderofmoney-capitalwheneverheusesloanedcapitalinsteadofhisown。Ifheemploysonlyhisowncapital,nosuchdivisionofprofittakesplace;thelatteristhenentirelyhis。
Indeed,aslongastheownersofthecapitalemployitontheirowninthereproductionprocess,theydonotcompeteindeterminingtherateofinterest。Thisaloneshowsthatthecategoryofinterest——impossiblewithoutdeterminingtherateofinterest——isalientothemovementsofindustrialcapitalassuch。”Therateofinterestmaybedefinedtobethatproportionalsumwhichthelenderiscontenttoreceive,andtheborrowertopay,annually,orforanylongerorshorterperiod,fortheuseofacertainamountofmoneyedcapital……Whentheownerofacapitalemploysitactivelyinreproduction,hedoesnotcomeundertheheadofthosecapitalists,theproportionofwhom,tothenumberofborrowers,determinestherateofinterest。”Th。
Tooke,HistoryofPrices,London,1838,II,pp。355-56。Itisindeedonlytheseparationofcapitalistsintomoney-capitalistsandindustrialcapitaliststhattransformsaportionoftheprofitintointerest,thatgenerallycreatesthecategoryofinterest;anditisonlythecompetitionbetweenthesetwokindsofcapitalistswhichcreatestherateofinterest。
Aslongascapitalfunctionsintheprocessofreproduction-assumingthatitevenbelongstotheindustrialcapitalistandhehasnoneedofpayingitbacktoalender——thecapitalist,asaprivateindividual,doesnothaveathisdisposalthiscapitalitself,butonlytheprofit,whichhemayspendasrevenue。Aslongashiscapitalfunctionsascapital,itbelongstotheprocessofreproduction,istiedupinit。Heis,indeed,itsowner,butthisownershipdoesnotenablehimtodisposeofitinanyotherway,solongasheusesitascapitalfortheexploitationoflabour。
Thesameistrueofthemoney-capitalist。Solongashiscapitalisloanedoutandtherebyservesasmoney-capital,itbringshiminterest,aportionoftheprofit,buthecannotdisposeoftheprincipal。Thisisevidentwheneverheloansouthiscapitalfor,say,ayear,ormore,andreceivesinterestatcertainstipulatedtimeswithoutthereturnofhisprincipal。
Buteventhereturnoftheprincipalmakesnodifferencehere。Ifhegetsitback,hemustalwaysloanitoutagain,solongasitistofunctionforhimascapital——hereasmoney-capital。Aslongashekeepsitinhisownhands,itdoesnotcollectinterestanddoesnotactascapital;
andaslongasitdoesgatherinterestandserveascapital,itisoutofhishands。Hencethepossibilityofloaningoutcapitalforalltime。
ThefollowingremarksbyTookedirectedagainstBosanquetare,therefore,entirelywrong。HequotesBosanquetMetallic,PaperandCreditCurrency,London,1842,p。73:”Weretherateofinterestreducedaslowas1%,capitalborrowedwouldbeplacednearlyonaparwithcapitalpossessed。”
TothisTookeaddsthefollowingmarginalnote:”Thatacapitalborrowedatthat,orevenalowerrate,shouldbeconsiderednearlyonaparwithcapitalpossessed,isapropositionsostrangeashardlytowarrantseriousnoticewereitnotadvancedbyawritersointelligent,and,onsomepointsofthesubject,sowellinformed。Hasheoverlookedthecircumstance,ordoesheconsideritoflittleconsequence,thattheremust,bythesupposition,beaconditionofrepayment?”Th。Tooke,AnInquiryintotheCurrencyPrinciple,2nded。,London,1844,p。80。Ifinterestwere=0,theindustrialcapitalistoperatingonborrowedcapitalwouldstandonaparwithacapitalistusinghisowncapital。Bothwouldpocketthesameaverageprofit,andcapital,whetherborrowedorowned,servesascapitalonlyaslongasitproducesprofit。Theconditionofreturnpaymentwouldalternothing。Thenearertherateofinterestapproacheszero,falling,forinstance,to1%,thenearerborrowedcapitalistobeingonaparwithowner’scapital。Solongasmoney-capitalistoexistasmoney-capital,itmustalwaysbeloanedout,andindeedattheprevailingrateofinterest,sayof1%,andalwaystothesameclassofindustrialandcommercialcapitalists。
Solongasthesefunctionascapitalists,thesoledifferencebetweentheoneworkingwithborrowedcapitalandtheotherwithhisownisthattheformermustpayinterestandthelattermustnot;theonepocketstheentireprofitp,andtheotherp杋,theprofitminustheinterest。Thenearerinterestapproacheszero,thenearerp杋approachesp,andhencethenearerthetwocapitalsaretobeingonapar。Theonemustpaybackthecapitalandborrowanew;yettheothermustlikewiseadvanceitagainandagaintotheproductionprocess,solongashiscapitalistofunction,andcannotdisposeofitfreely,independentofthisprocess。Thesoleremainingdifferencebetweenthetwoistheobviousdifferencethatoneistheownerofhiscapital,andtheotherisnot。
Thequestionwhichnowarisesisthis。Howdoesthispurelyquantitativedivisionofprofitintonetprofitandinterestturnintoaqualitativeone?Inotherwords,howisitthatacapitalistwhoemployssolelyhisown,notborrowedcapital,classifiesaportionofhisgrossprofitunderthespecificcategoryofinterestandassuchcalculatesitseparately?
And,furthermore,howisitthatallcapital,whetherborrowedornot,isdifferentiatedasinterest-bearingcapitalfromitselfascapitalproducinganetprofit?
Itisunderstoodthatnoteveryaccidentalquantitativedivisionofprofitturnsinthismannerintoaqualitativeone。Forinstance,someindustrialcapitalistsjoinhandstooperateabusinessandthendividetheprofitamongthemselvesinaccordancewithsomelegalagreement。Othersdotheirbusiness,eachonhisown,withoutanypartners。Theselastdonotcalculatetheirprofitundertwoheads——onepartasindividualprofit,andtheotherascompanyprofitfortheirnon-existentpartners。Inthiscasethequantitativedivisionthereforedoesnotbecomeaqualitativeone。Thisoccurswheneverownershiphappenstobevestedinseveraljuridicalpersons。Itdoesnotoccurwheneverthisisnotthecase。
Inordertoanswerthisquestion,wemustdwellsomewhatlongerontheactualpointofdepartureintheformationofinterest;thatis,wemustproceedfromtheassumptionthatthemoney-capitalistandindustrialcapitalistreallyconfrontoneanothernotjustaslegallydifferentpersons,butaspersonsplayingentirelydifferentrolesinthereproductionprocess,oraspersonsinwhosehandsthesamecapitalreallyperformsatwo-foldandwhollydifferentmovement。Theonemerelyloansit,theotheremploysitproductively。
Fortheproductivecapitalistwhoworksonborrowedcapital,thegrossprofitfallsintotwoparts——theinterest,whichheistopaythelender,andthesurplusoverandabovetheinterest,whichmakesuphisownshareoftheprofitIfthegeneralrateofprofitisgiven,thislatterportionisdeterminedbytherateofinterest;andiftherateofinterestisgiven,thenbythegeneralrateofprofit。Andfurthermore:howeverthegrossprofit,theactualvalueofthetotalprofit,maydivergeineachindividualcasefromtheaverageprofit,theportionbelongingtothefunctioningcapitalistisdeterminedbytheinterest,sincethisisfixedbythegeneralrateofinterestleavingasideanyspeciallegalstipulationsandassumedtobegivenbeforehand,beforetheprocessofproductionbegins,hencebeforeitsresult,thegrossprofit,isachieved。Wehaveseenthattheactualspecificproductofcapitalissurplus-value,or,moreprecisely,profit。Butforthecapitalistworkingonborrowedcapitalitisnotprofit,butprofitminusinterest,thatportionofprofitwhichremainstohimafterpayinginterest。Thisportionoftheprofit,therefore,necessarilyappearstohimtobetheproductofacapitalaslongasitisoperative;
andthisitis,asfarasheisconcerned,becauseherepresentscapitalonlyasfunctioningcapital。Heisitspersonificationaslongasitfunctions,anditfunctionsaslongasitisprofitablyinvestedinindustryorcommerceandsuchoperationsareundertakenwithitthroughitsemployerasareprescribedbythebranchofindustryconcerned。Asdistinctfrominterest,whichhehastopaytothelenderoutofthegrossprofit,theportionofprofitwhichfallstohissharenecessarilyassumestheformofindustrialorcommercialprofit,or,touseaGermantermembracingboth,theformofUnternehmergewinnprofitofenterprise。Ifthegrossprofitequalstheaverageprofit,thesizeoftheprofitofenterpriseisdeterminedexclusivelybytherateofinterest。Ifthegrossprofitdeviatesfromtheaverageprofit,itsdifferencefromtheaverageprofitafterinterestisdeductedfrombothisdeterminedbyallthecircumstanceswhichcauseatemporarydeviation,beitoftherateofprofitinanyparticularspherefromthegeneralrateofprofit,ortheprofitofsomeindividualcapitalistinacertainspherefromtheaverageprofitofthissphere。Wehaveseenhoweverthattherateofprofitwithintheproductionprocessitselfdoesnotdependonsurplus-valuealone,butalsoonmanyothercircumstances,suchaspurchasepricesofmeansofproduction,methodsmoreproductivethantheaverage,onsavingsofconstantcapital,etc。Andasidefromthepriceofproduction,itdependsonspecialcircumstances,andineverysinglebusinesstransactiononthegreaterorlessershrewdnessandindustryofthecapitalist,whether,andtowhatextent,hebuysorsellsaboveorbelowthepriceofproductionandthusappropriatesagreaterorsmallerportionofthetotalsurplus-valueintheprocessofcirculation。Inanycase,thequantitativedivisionofthegrossprofitturnshereintoaqualitativeone,andallthemoresobecausethequantitativedivisionitselfdependsonwhatistobedivided,themannerinwhichtheactivecapitalistmanageshiscapital,andwhatgrossprofitityieldstohimasafunctioningcapital,i。e。,inconsequenceofhisfunctionsasanactivecapitalist。Thefunctioningcapitalistishereassumedasanon-ownerofcapital。Ownershipofthecapitalisrepresentedinrelationtohimbythemoney-capitalist,thelender。Theinteresthepaystothelatterthusappearsasthatportionofgrossprofitwhichisduetotheownershipofcapitalassuch。Asdistinctfromthis,thatportionofprofitwhichfallstotheactivecapitalistappearsnowasprofitofenterprise,derivingsolelyfromtheoperations,orfunctions,whichheperformswiththecapitalintheprocessofreproduction,henceparticularlythosefunctionswhichheperformsasentrepreneurinindustryorcommerce。Inrelationtohiminterestappearsthereforeasthemerefruitofowningcapital,ofcapitalassuchabstractedfromthereproductionprocessofcapital,inasmuchasitdoesnot”work,”doesnotfunction;whileprofitofenterpriseappearstohimastheexclusivefruitofthefunctionswhichheperformswiththecapital,asthefruitofthemovementandperformanceofcapital,ofaperformancewhichappearstohimashisownactivity,asopposedtotheinactivity,thenon-participationofthemoney-capitalistintheproductionprocess。Thisqualitativedistinctionbetweenthetwoportionsofgrossprofitthatinterestisthefruitofcapitalassuch,oftheownershipofcapitalirrespectiveoftheproductionprocess,andthatprofitofenterpriseisthefruitofperformingcapital,ofcapitalfunctioningintheproductionprocess,andhenceoftheactiveroleplayedbytheemployerofthecapitalinthereproductionprocess——thisqualitativedistinctionisbynomeansmerelyasubjectivenotionofthemoney-capitalist,ontheonehand,andtheindustrialcapitalist,ontheother。Itrestsuponanobjectivefact,forinterestflowstothemoney-capitalist,tothelender,whoisthemereownerofcapital,hencerepresentsonlyownershipofcapitalbeforetheproductionprocessandoutsideofit;whiletheprofitofenterpriseflowstothefunctioningcapitalistalone,whoisnon-ownerofthecapital。
Themerelyquantitativedivisionofthegrossprofitbetweentwodifferentpersonswhobothhavedifferentlegalclaimstothesamecapital,andhencetotheprofitproducedbyit,thusturnsintoaqualitativedivisionforboththeindustrialcapitalistinsofarasheisoperatingonborrowedcapital,andforthemoney-capitalist,insofarashedoesnothimselfapplyhiscapital。Oneportionoftheprofitappearsnowasfruitdueassuchtocapitalinoneform。,asinterest;theotherportionappearsasaspecificfruitofcapitalinanoppositeform,andthusasprofitofenterprise。Oneappearsexclusivelyasthefruitofoperatingwiththecapital,thefruitofperformingcapital,orofthefunctionsperformedbytheactivecapitalist。Andthisossificationandindividualisationofthetwopartsofthegrossprofitinrespecttooneanother,asthoughtheyoriginatedfromtwoessentiallydifferentsources,nowtakesfirmshapefortheentirecapitalistclassandthetotalcapital。And,indeed,regardlessofwhetherthecapitalemployedbytheactivecapitalistisborrowedornot,andwhetherthecapitalbelongingtothemoney-capitalistisemployedbyhimselfornot。Theprofitofeverycapital,andconsequentlyalsotheaverageprofitestablishedbytheequalisationofcapitals,splits,orisseparated,intotwoqualitativelydifferent,mutuallyindependentandseparatelyindividualisedparts,towit——interestandprofitofenterprise——bothofwhicharedeterminedbyseparatelaws。Thecapitalistoperatingonhisowncapital,liketheoneoperatingonborrowedcapital,dividesthegrossprofitintointerestduetohimselfasowner,ashisownlender,andintoprofitofenterpriseduetohimastoanactivecapitalistperforminghisfunction。Asconcernsthisdivision,therefore,asaqualitativeone,itisimmaterialwhetherthecapitalistreallyhastosharewithanother,ornot。Theemployerofcapital,evenwhenworkingwithhisowncapital,splitsintotwopersonalities——theownerofcapitalandtheemployerofcapital;withreferencetothecategoriesofprofitwhichityields,hiscapitalalsosplitsintocapital-property,capitaloutsidetheproductionprocess,andyieldinginterestofitself,andcapitalintheproductionprocesswhichyieldsaprofitofenterprisethroughitsfunction。
Interest,therefore,becomesfirmlyestablishedinawaythatitnolongerappearsasadivisionofgrossprofitofindifferencetoproduction,whichoccursoccasionallywhentheindustrialcapitalisthappenstooperatewithsomeoneelse’scapital。Hisprofitsplitsintointerestandprofitofenterpriseevenwhenheoperatesonhisowncapital。Amerelyquantitativedivisionthusturnsintoaqualitativeone。Itoccursregardlessofthefortuitouscircumstancewhethertheindustrialcapitalistis,orisnot,theownerofhiscapital。Itisnotonlyamatterofdifferentquotasofprofitassignedtodifferentpersons,buttwodifferentcategoriesofprofitwhicharedifferentlyrelatedtothecapital,hencerelatedtodifferentaspectsofthecapital。
Nowthatthisdivisionofgrossprofitintointerestandprofitofenterprisehasbecomeaqualitativeone,itiseasytodiscoverthereasonswhyitacquiresthischaracterofaqualitativedivisionforthetotalcapitalandtheentireclassofcapitalists。
Firstly,thisfollowsfromthesimpleempiricalcircumstancethatthemajorityofindustrialcapitalists,evenifindifferentnumericalproportions,workwiththeirownandwithborrowedcapital,andthatatdifferenttimestheproportionbetweenone’sownandborrowedcapitalchanges。
Secondly,thetransformationofaportionofthegrossprofitintotheformofinterestconvertsitsotherportionintoprofitofenterprise。
Thelatteris,indeed,buttheoppositeformassumedbytheexcessofgrossprofitoverinterestassoonasthisexistsasanindependentcategory。
Theentireanalysisoftheproblemhowgrossprofitisdifferentiatedintointerestandprofitofenterprise,resolvesitselfintotheinquiryofhowaportionofthegrossprofitbecomesuniversallyossifiedandindividualisedasinterest。Yethistoricallyinterest-bearingcapitalexistedasacompletedtraditionalform,andhenceinterestasacompletedsub-divisionofsurplus-valueproducedbycapital,longbeforethecapitalistmodeofproductionanditsattendantconceptionsofcapitalandprofit。Thusitisthattothepopularmindmoney-capital,orinterest-bearingcapital,isstillcapitalassuch,ascapitalparexcellence。Thusitis,ontheotherhand,thatuptothetimeofMassiethenotionprevailedthatitismoneyassuchwhichispaidininterest。Thefactthatloanedcapitalyieldsinterestwhetheractuallyemployedascapitalornot——evenwhenborrowedonlyforconsumption——lendsstrengthtotheideathatthisformofcapitalexistsindependently。Thebestproofoftheindependencewhichinterestpossessedduringtheearlyperiodsofthecapitalistmodeofproductioninreferencetoprofit,andwhichinterest-bearingcapitalpossessedinreferencetoindustrialcapital,isthatitwasdiscoveredbyMassie[[J。
Massie]AnEssayontheGoverningCausesoftheNaturalRateofInterest,London,1750——Ed。]andafterhimbyHume[D。Hume,”OnInterest。”
In:”EssaysandTreatisesonSeveralSubjects,”Vol。I,London,1764——Ed。]aslateasthemiddleofthe18thcentury,thatinterestisbutaportionofthegrossprofit,andthatsuchadiscoverywasatallnecessary。
Thirdly,whethertheindustrialcapitalistoperatesonhisownoronborrowedcapitaldoesnotalterthefactthattheclassofmoney-capitalistsconfrontshimasaspecialkindofcapitalists,money-capitalasanindependentkindofcapital,andinterestasanindependentformofsurplus-valuepeculiartothisspecificcapital。
Qualitativelyspeaking,interestissurplus-valueyieldedbythemereownershipofcapital;itisyieldedbycapitalassuch,eventhoughitsownerremainsoutsidethereproductionprocess。Henceitissurplus-valuerealisedbycapitaloutsideofitsprocess。
Quantitativelyspeaking,thatportionofprofitwhichformsinterestdoesnotseemtoberelatedtoindustrialorcommercialcapitalassuch,buttomoney-capital,andtherateofthisportionofsurplus-value,therateofinterest,reinforcesthisrelation。Because,inthefirstplace,therateofinterestisindependentlydetermineddespiteitsdependenceuponthegeneralrateofprofit,and,inthesecondplace,likethemarket-priceofcommodities,itappearsincontrasttotheintangiblerateofprofitasafixed,uniform,tangibleandalwaysgivenrelationforallitsvariations。
Ifallcapitalwereinthehandsoftheindustrialcapitaliststherewouldbenosuchthingasinterestandrateofinterest。Theindependentformassumedbythequantitativedivisionofgrossprofitcreatesthequalitativeone。Iftheindustrialcapitalistweretocomparehimselfwiththemoney-capitalist,itwouldbehisprofitofenterprisealone,theexcessofhisgrossprofitovertheaverageinterest——thelatterappearingtobeempiricallygivenbyvirtueoftherateofinterest——thatwoulddistinguishhimfromtheotherperson。If,ontheother。hand,hecompareshimselfwiththeindustrialcapitalistworkingwithhisown,insteadofborrowed,capital,thelatterdiffersfromhimonlyasamoney-capitalistinpocketingtheinterestinsteadofpayingittosomeoneelse。Theportionofgrossprofitdistinguishedfrominterestappearstohimineithercaseasprofitofenterprise,andinterestitselfasasurplus-valueyieldedbycapitalassuch,whichitwouldyieldevenifnotappliedproductively。
Thisiscorrectinthepracticalsensefortheindividualcapitalist。
Hehasthechoiceofmakinguseofhiscapitalbylendingitoutasinterest-bearingcapital,orofexpandingitsvalueonhisownbyusingitasproductivecapital,regardlessofwhetheritexistsasmoney-capitalfromtheveryfirst,orwhetheritstillhastobeconvertedintomoney-capital。Buttoapplyittothetotalcapitalofsociety,assomevulgareconomistsdo,andtogosofarastodefineitasthecauseofprofit,is,ofcourse,preposterous。Theideaofconvertingallthecapitalintomoney-capital,withouttherebeingpeoplewhobuyandputtousemeansofproduction,whichmakeupthetotal。capitaloutsideofarelativelysmallportionofitexistinginmoney,is,ofcourse,sheernonsense。Itwouldbestillmoreabsurdtopresumethatcapitalwouldyieldintereston。thebasisofcapitalistproductionwithoutperforminganyproductivefunction,i。e。,withoutcreatingsurplus-value,ofwhichinterestisjustapart;thatthecapitalistmodeofproductionwouldrunitscoursewithoutcapitalistproduction。Ifanuntowardlylargesectionofcapitalistsweretoconverttheircapitalintomoney-capital,theresultwouldbeafrightfuldepreciationofmoney-capitalandafrightfulfallintherateofinterest;manywouldatoncefacetheimpossibilityoflivingontheirinterest,andwouldhencebecompelledtoreconvertintoindustrialcapitalists。Butwerepeatthatitisafactfortheindividualcapitalist。Forthisreason,evenwhenoperatingwithhisowncapital,henecessarilyconsidersthepartofhisaverageprofitwhichequalstheaverageinterestasfruitofhiscapitalassuch,setapartfromtheprocessofproduction;andasdistinctfromthisportionsingledoutasinterest,heconsidersthesurplusofthegrossprofitasmereprofitofenterprise。
Fourthly,[Ablankinthemanuscript]。
Wehaveseen,therefore,thattheportionofprofitwhichthefunctioningcapitalisthastopaytotheownerofborrowedcapitalistransformedintoanindependentformforaportionoftheprofit,whichallcapitalassuch,whetherborrowedornot,yieldsunderthenameofinterest。Howlargethisportionisdependsontheaveragerateofinterest。Itsoriginisonlystillrevealedinthefactthatthefunctioningcapitalist,whenownerofhiscapital,doesnotcompete——atleastnotactively——indeterminingtheinterestrate。Thepurelyquantitativedivisionoftheprofitbetweentwopersonswhohavedifferentlegaltitlestoithasturnedintoaqualitativedivision,whichseemstospringfromtheverynatureofcapitalandprofit。
Because,aswehaveseen,assoonasaportionofprofituniversallyassumestheformofinterest,thedifferencebetweenaverageprofitandinterest,ortheportionofprofitoverandabovetheinterest,assumesaformoppositetointerest——theformofprofitofenterprise。Thesetwoforms,interestandprofitofenterprise,existonlyasopposites。Hence,theyarenotrelatedtosurplus-value,ofwhichtheyarebutpartsplacedunderdifferentcategories,headsornames,butrathertooneanother。Itisbecauseoneportionofprofitturnsintointerest,thattheotherappearsasprofitofenterprise。
Byprofitweherealwaysmeanaverageprofit,sincevariationsdonotconcernusinthisanalysis,betheyofindividualprofitsorofprofitsindifferentspheres——hencevariationscausedbythecompetitivestruggleandothercircumstancesaffectingthedistributionoftheaverageprofit,orsurplus-value。Thisappliesgenerallytothisentireinquiry。
Interestisthennetprofit,asRamsaycallsit,whichtheownershipofcapitalyieldsassuch,eithersimplytothelender,whoremainsoutsidethereproductionprocess,ortotheownerwhoemployshiscapitalproductively。
Butinthelatter’scase,too,capitalyieldsthisnetprofittohimnotinhiscapacityofproductivecapitalist,butofmoney-capitalist,oflenderofhisowncapitalasinterest-bearingcapitaltohimselfastoafunctioningcapitalist。Justastheconversionofmoney,andofvalueingeneral,intocapitalistheconstantresultofcapitalistproduction,soisitsexistenceascapitalitsconstantprecondition。Byitsabilitytobetransformedintomeansofproductionitcontinuallycommandsunpaidlabourandtherebytransformstheprocessesofproductionandcirculationofcommoditiesintotheproductionofsurplus-valueforitsowner。Interestis,therefore,theexpressionofthefactthatvalueingeneral-materialisedlabourinitsgeneralsocialform-valuewhichassumestheformofmeansofproductionintheactualprocessofproduction,confrontslivinglabour-powerasanindependentpower,andisameansofappropriatingunpaidlabour;andthatitissuchapowerbecauseitconfrontsthelabourerasthepropertyofanother。Butontheotherhand,thisantithesistowage-labourisobliteratedintheformofinterest,becauseinterest-bearingcapitalassuchhasnotwage-labour,butproductivecapitalforitsopposite。Thelendingcapitalistassuchfacesthecapitalistperforminghisactualfunctionintheprocessofreproduction,notthewage-worker,who,preciselyundercapitalistproduction,isexpropriatedofthemeansofproduction。Interest-bearingcapitaliscapitalaspropertyasdistinctfromcapitalasafunction。Butsolongascapitaldoesnotperformitsfunction,itdoesnotexploitlabourersanddoesnotcomeintooppositiontolabour。
Ontheotherhand,profitofenterpriseisnotrelatedasanoppositetowage-labour,butonlytointerest。
Firstly,assumingtheaverageprofittobegiven,therateoftheprofitofenterpriseisnotdeterminedbywages,butbytherateofinterest。Itishighorlowininverseproportiontoit[1]
Secondly,thefunctioningcapitalistderiveshisclaimtoprofitsofenterprise,hencetheprofitofenterpriseitself,notfromhisownershipofcapital,butfromthefunctionofcapital,asdistinctfromthedefiniteforminwhichitisonlyinertproperty。Thisstandsoutasanimmediatelyapparentcontrastwheneverheoperateswithborrowedcapital,andinterestandprofitofenterprisethereforegotodifferentpersons。Theprofitofenterprisespringsfromthefunctionofcapitalinthereproductionprocess,henceasaresultoftheoperations,theactsbywhichthefunctioningcapitalistpromotesthisfunctionofindustrialandcommercialcapital。
Buttorepresentfunctioningcapitalisnotasinecure,likerepresentinginterest-bearingcapital。Onthebasisofcapitalistproduction,thecapitalistdirectstheprocessofproductionandcirculation。Exploitingproductivelabourentailsexertion,whetherheexploitsithimselforhasitexploitedbysomeoneelseonhisbehalf。Therefore,hisprofitofenterpriseappearstohimasdistinctfrominterest,asindependentoftheownershipofcapital,butratherastheresultofhisfunctionasanon-proprietor——alabourer。
Henecessarilyconceivestheideaforthisreasonthathisprofitofenterprise,farfrombeingcounterposedtowage-labourandfarfrombeingtheunpaidlabourofothers,isitselfratherawageorwagesofsuperintendenceoflabour,higherthanacommonlabourer’s,1becausetheworkisfarmorecomplicated,and2becausehepaysthemtohimself。
Thefactthathisfunctionasacapitalistconsistsincreatingsurplus-value,i。e。,unpaidlabour,andcreatingitunderthemosteconomicalconditions,isentirelylostsightofinthecontrastthatinterestfallstotheshareofthecapitalistevenwhenhedoesnotperformthefunctionofacapitalistandismerelytheownerofcapital;andthat,ontheotherhand,profitofenterprisedoesfalltotheshareofthefunctioningcapitalistevenwhenheisnottheownerofthecapitalonwhichheoperates。Heforgets,duetotheantitheticalformofthetwopartsintowhichprofit,hencesurplus-value,isdivided,thatbotharemerelypartsofthesurplus-value,andthatthisdivisionaltersnothinginthenature,origin,andwayofexistenceofsurplus-value。
Intheprocessofreproductionthefunctioningcapitalistrepresentscapitalasthepropertyofanothervis-à;-visthewage-labourers,andthemoney-capitalist,representedbythefunctioningcapitalist,takesahandinexploitinglabour。Thefactthattheinvestingcapitalistcanperformhisfunctionofmakingthelabourersworkforhim,orofemployingmeansofproductionascapital,onlyasthepersonificationofthemeansofproductionvis-à;-visthelabourers,isforgotteninthecontradictionbetweenthefunctionofcapitalinthereproductionprocessandthemereownershipofcapitaloutsideofthereproductionprocess。
Infact,theformofinterestandprofitofenterpriseassumedbythetwopartsofprofit,i。e。,ofsurplus-value,expressesnorelationtolabour,becausethisrelationexistsonlybetweenlabourandprofit,orratherthesurplus-valueasasum,awhole,theunityofthesetwoparts。
Theproportioninwhichtheprofitisdivided,andthedifferentlegaltitlesbywhichthisdivisionissanctioned,arebasedontheassumptionthatprofitisalreadyinexistence。If,therefore,thecapitalististheownerofthecapitalonwhichheoperates,hepocketsthewholeprofit,orsurplus-value。Itisabsolutelyimmaterialtothelabourerwhetherthecapitalistdoesthis,orwhetherhehastopayapartofittoathirdpersonasitslegalproprietor。Thereasonsfordividingtheprofitamongtwokindsofcapitaliststhusturnimperceptiblyintothereasonsfortheexistenceoftheprofit,thesurplus-value,thatistobedivided,andwhichcapitalassuchderivesfromthereproductionprocessregardlessofanysubsequentdivision。Sinceinterestisopposedtoprofitofenterprise,andprofitofenterprisetointerest,andsincetheyarebothcounterposedtooneanother,butnottolabour,itfollowsthatprofitofenterpriseplusinterest,i。e。,profit,andfurthersurplus-value,arederived——fromwhat?Fromtheantitheticalformofitstwoparts!Butprofitisproducedbeforeitsdivisionisundertaken,andbeforetherecanbeanythoughtofit。
Interest-bearingcapitalremainsassuchonlysolongastheloanedmoneyisactuallyconvertedintocapitalandasurplusisproducedwithit,ofwhichinterestisapart。Butthisdoesnotruleoutthatdrawinginterest,regardlessoftheprocessofproduction,isitsorganicproperty。
Sodoeslabour-powerpreserveitspropertyofproducingvalueonlysolongasitisemployedandmaterialisedinthelabour-process;yetthisdoesnotargueagainstthefactthatitispotentially,asapower,anactivitywhichcreatesvalue,andthatassuchitdoesnotspringfromtheprocessofproduction,butratherantecedesit。Itisboughtassuchacapacityforcreatingvalue。Onemightalsobuyitwithoutsettingittoworkproductively;
forpurelypersonalends,forinstance,forpersonalservices,etc。Thesameappliestocapital。Itistheborrower’saffairwhetherheemploysitascapital,henceactuallysetsinmotionitsinherentpropertyofproducingsurplus-value。Whathepaysfor,isineithercasethepotentialsurplus-valueinherentlycontainedincapitalasacommodity。
Letusnowconsiderprofitofenterpriseingreaterdetail。
Sincethespecificsocialattributeofcapitalundercapitalistproduction——thatofbeingpropertycommandingthelabour-powerofanother-becomesfixed,sothatinterestappearsasapartofsurplus-valueproducedbycapitalinthisinterrelation,theotherpartofsurplus-value——profitofenterprise——mustnecessarilyappearascomingnotfromcapitalassuch,butfromtheprocessofproduction,separatedfromitsspecificsocialattribute,whosedistinctmodeofexistenceisalreadyexpressedbytheterminterestoncapital。Buttheprocessofproduction,separatedfromcapital,issimplyalabour-process。Therefore,theindustrialcapitalist,asdistinctfromtheownerofcapital,doesnotappearasoperatingcapital,butratherasafunctionaryirrespectiveofcapital,or,asasimpleagentofthelabour-processingeneral,asalabourer,andindeedasawage-labourer。
Interestassuchexpressespreciselytheexistenceoftheconditionsoflabourascapital,intheirsocialantithesistolabour,andintheirtransformationintopersonalpowervis-à;-visandoverlabour。Itrepresentstheownershipofcapitalasameansofappropriatingtheproductsofthelabourofothers。Butitrepresentsthischaracteristicofcapitalassomethingwhichbelongstoitoutsidetheproductionprocessandbynomeansistheresultofthespecificallycapitalistattributeofthisproductionprocessitself。Interestrepresentsthischaracteristicnotasdirectlycounterposedtolabour,butratherasunrelatedtolabour,andsimplyasarelationshipofonecapitalisttoanother。Hence,asanattributeoutsideofandirrelevanttotherelationofcapitaltolabour。
Ininterest,therefore,inthatspecificformofprofitinwhichtheantitheticalcharacterofcapitalassumesanindependentform,thisisdoneinsuchawaythattheantithesisiscompletelyobliteratedandabstracted。Interestisarelationshipbetweentwocapitalists,notbetweencapitalistandlabourer。
Ontheotherhand,thisformofinterestlendstheotherportionofprofitthequalitativeformofprofitofenterprise,andfurtherofwagesofsuperintendence。Thespecificfunctionswhichthecapitalistassuchhastoperform,andwhichfalltohimasdistinctfromandopposedtothelabourer,arepresentedasmerefunctionsoflabour。Hecreatessurplus-valuenotbecauseheworksasacapitalist,butbecausehealsoworks,regardlessofhiscapacityofcapitalist。Thisportionofsurplus-valueisthusnolongersurplus-value,butitsopposite,anequivalentforlabourperformed。Duetothealienatedcharacterofcapital,itsantithesistolabour,beingrelegatedtoaplaceoutsidetheactualprocessofexploitation,namelytotheinterest-bearingcapital,thisprocessofexploitationitselfappearsasasimplelabour-processinwhichthefunctioningcapitalistmerelyperformsadifferentkindoflabourthanthelabourer。Sothatthelabourofexploitingandtheexploitedlabourbothappearidenticalaslabour。Thelabourofexploitingisjustasmuchlabourasexploitedlabour。
Thesocialformofcapitalfallstointerest,butexpressedinaneutralandindifferentform。Theeconomicfunctionofcapitalfallstoprofitofenterprise,butabstractedfromthespecificcapitalistcharacterofthisfunction。
ThesamethingpassesthroughthemindofthecapitalistinthiscaseasinthecaseofthereasonsindicatedinPartIIofthisbookforcompensationintheequalisationtoaverageprofit。Thesereasonsforcompensationwhichenterthedistributionofsurplus-valueasdeterminantsaredistortedinacapitalist’smindtoappearasbasesoforiginandthesubjectivejustificationsofprofititself。
Theconceptionofprofitofenterpriseasthewagesofsupervisinglabour,arisingfromtheantithesisofprofitofenterprisetointerest,isfurtherstrengthenedbythefactthataportionofprofitmay,indeed,beseparated,andisseparatedinreality,aswages,orratherthereverse,thataportionofwagesappearsundercapitalistproductionasintegralpartofprofit。
Thisportion,asAdamSmithcorrectlydeduced,presentsitselfinpureform,independentlyandwhollyseparatedfromprofitasthesumofinterestandprofitofenterprise,ontheonehand,andontheother,fromthatportionofprofitwhichremains,afterinterestisdeducted,asprofitofenterpriseinthesalaryofmanagementofthosebranchesofbusinesswhosesize,etc。,permitsofasufficientdivisionoflabourtojustifyaspecialsalaryforamanager。
Thelabourofsupervisionandmanagementisnaturallyrequiredwhereverthedirectprocessofproductionassumestheformofacombinedsocialprocess,andnotoftheisolatedlabourofindependentproducers。[2]However,ithasadoublenature。
Ontheonehand,alllabourinwhichmanyindividualsco-operatenecessarilyrequiresacommandingwilltoco-ordinateandunifytheprocess,andfunctionswhichapplynottopartialoperationsbuttothetotalactivityoftheworkshop,muchasthatofanorchestraconductor。Thisisaproductivejob,whichmustbeperformedineverycombinedmodeofproduction。
Ontheotherhand——quiteapartfromanycommercialdepartment——thissupervisionworknecessarilyarisesinallmodesofproductionbasedontheantithesisbetweenthelabourer,asthedirectproducer,andtheownerofthemeansofproduction。Thegreaterthisantagonism,thegreatertheroleplayedbysupervision。Henceitreachesitspeakintheslavesystem。[3]Butitisindispensablealsointhecapitalistmodeofproduction,sincetheproductionprocessinitissimultaneouslyaprocessbywhichthecapitalistconsumeslabour-power。Justasindespoticstates,supervisionandall-roundinterferencebythegovernmentinvolvesboththeperformanceofcommonactivitiesarisingfromthenatureofallcommunities,andthespecificfunctionsarisingfromtheantithesisbetweenthegovernmentandthemassofthepeople。
Intheworksofancientwriters,whohadtheslavesystembeforethem,bothsidesoftheworkofsupervisionareasinseparablycombinedintheoryastheywereinpractice。Likewiseintheworksofmoderneconomists,whoregardthecapitalistmodeofproductionasabsolute。Ontheotherhand,asIshallpresentlyillustratewithanexample,theapologistsofthemodernslavesystemutilisetheworkofsupervisionquiteasmuchasajustificationofslavery,astheothereconomistsdotojustifythewagesystem。
ThevillicusinCato’stime:”Attheheadoftheestatewithslaveeconomyfamiliarusticastandsthemanagervillicus,derivedfromvilla,whoreceivesandexpends,buysandsells,takesinstructionsfromthemaster,inwhoseabsencehegivesordersandmetesoutpunishment……Themanagernaturallyhadmorefreedomofactionthantheotherslaves;theMagonianbooksadvisethathebepermittedtomarry,raisechildren,andhavehisownfunds,andCatorecommendsthathebemarriedtothefemalemanager;healoneprobablyhadtheprospectofwinninghisfreedomfromthemasterintheeventofgoodbehaviour。
Asfortherest,allformedacommonhousehold……Everyslave,includingthemanagerhimself,wassuppliedhisnecessitiesathismaster’sexpenseatdefiniteintervalsandfixedrates,andhadtogetalongonthem……
Thequantityvariedinaccordancewithlabour,whichiswhythemanager,forexample,whoseworkwaslighterthantheotherslaves’,receivedasmallerrationthanthey。”Mommsen,Rö;mischeGeschichte,2nded。,1856,1,pp。809-10。
Aristotle:’”Ogardespothzoucenktasqaitouzdoulouz,allentwcrhqaiuoulouz。””Forthemaster”——thecapitalist——”proveshimselfsuchnotbyobtainingslaves”——ownershipofcapitalwhichgiveshimpowertobuylabour-power——”butinemployingslaves”——
usinglabourers,nowadayswage-labourers,intheproductionprocess。”Estideauthhepisthmhoudenmegaecousaoudesemnon。”
”Butthereisnothinggreatorsublimeaboutthisscience。””agartondoulonepistasqaideipoieineceinondeitautaepistasqaiepitattein。””Butwhatevertheslavemustbeabletoperform,themastermustbeabletoorder。””Dioosoizexousiamhautouzcacopaqeinepistopozlambaneitau-thnthntimhn,autoidepoliteuontaihfilosofosin。”
”Wheneverthemastersarenotcompelledtoplaguethemselveswithsupervision,themanagerassumesthishonour,whilethemastersattendtoaffairsofstateorstudyphilosophy。”Aristotle,Derepublica,Bekkeredition,BookI,7。
Aristotlesaysinjustsomanywordsthatsupremacyinthepoliticalandeconomicfieldsimposesthefunctionsofgovernmentupontherulingpowers,andhencethattheymust,intheeconomicfield,knowtheartofconsuminglabour-power。Andheaddsthatthissupervisoryworkisnotamatterofgreatmomentandthatforthisreasonthemasterleavesthe”honour”
ofthisdrudgerytoanoverseerassoonashecanaffordit。
Theworkofmanagementandsupervision——sofarasitisnotaspecialfunctiondeterminedbythenatureofallcombinedsociallabour,butratherbytheantithesisbetweentheownerofmeansofproductionandtheownerofmerelabour-power,regardlessofwhetherthislabour-powerispurchasedbybuyingthelabourerhimself,asitisundertheslavesystem,orwhetherthelabourerhimselfsellshislabour-power,sothattheproductionprocessalsoappearsasaprocessbywhichcapitalconsumeshislabour——thisfunctionarisingoutoftheservitudeofthedirectproducershasalltoooftenbeenquotedtojustifythisrelationship。Andexploitation,theappropriationoftheunpaidlabourofothers,hasquiteasoftenbeenrepresentedastherewardjustlyduetotheownerofcapitalforhiswork;butneverbetterthanbyachampionofslaveryintheUnitedStates,alawyernamedO’Connor,atameetingheldinNewYorkonDecember19,1859,underthesloganof”JusticefortheSouth。””Now,gentlemen,”hesaidamidthunderousapplause,”tothatconditionofbondagetheNegroisassignedbyNature……Hehasstrength,andhasthepowertolabour;buttheNaturewhichcreatedthepowerdeniedtohimeithertheintellecttogovern,orwillingnesstowork。”Applause。”Bothweredeniedtohim。AndthatNaturewhichdeprivedhimofthewilltolabour,gavehimamastertocoercethatwill,andtomakehimauseful……
servantintheclimeinwhichhewascapableoflivingusefulforhimselfandforthemasterwhogovernshim……ImaintainthatitisnotinjusticetoleavetheNegrointheconditioninwhichNatureplacedhim,togivehimamastertogovernhim……norisitdeprivinghimofanyofhisrightstocompelhimtolabourinreturn,andaffordtothatmasterjustcompensationforthelabourandtalentemployedingoverninghimandrenderinghimusefultohimselfandtothesociety。”[NewYorkDailyTribune,November20,1859,pp。7-8——Ed]
Now,thewage-labourer,liketheslave,musthaveamasterwhoputshimtoworkandrulesoverhim。Andassumingtheexistenceofthisrelationshipoflordshipandservitude,itisquitepropertocompelthewage-labourertoproducehisownwagesandalsothewagesofsupervision,ascompensationforthelabourofrulingandsupervisinghim,or”justcompensationforthelabourandtalentemployedingoverninghimandrenderinghimusefultohimselfandtothesociety。”
Thelabourofsupervisionandmanagement,arisingasitdoesoutofanantithesis,outofthesupremacyofcapitaloverlabour,andbeingthereforecommontoallmodesofproductionbasedonclasscontradictionslikethecapitalistmode,isdirectlyandinseparablyconnected,alsounderthecapitalistsystem,withproductivefunctionswhichallcombinedsociallabourassignstoindividualsastheirspecialtasks。Thewagesofanepitropos,orré;gisseur,ashewascalledinfeudalFrance,areentirelydivorcedfromprofitandassumetheformofwagesforskilledlabourwheneverthebusinessisoperatedonasufficientlylargescaletowarrantpayingforsuchamanager,although,forallthat,ourindustrialcapitalistsarefarfrom”attendingtoaffairsofstateorstudyingphilosophy。”
IthasalreadybeenremarkedbyMr。Ure[4]thatitisnottheindustrialcapitalists,buttheindustrialmanagerswhoare”thesoulofourindustrialsystem。”Whateverconcernsthecommercialpartofanestablishmentwehavealreadysaidallthatisnecessaryintheprecedingpart。
Thecapitalistmodeofproductionhasbroughtmatterstoapointwheretheworkofsupervision,entirelydivorcedfromtheownershipofcapital,isalwaysreadilyobtainable。Ithas,therefore,cometobeuselessforthecapitalisttoperformithimself。Anorchestraconductorneednotowntheinstrumentsofhisorchestra,norisitwithinthescopeofhisdutiesasconductortohaveanythingtodowiththe”wages”oftheothermusicians。
Co-operativefactoriesfurnishproofthatthecapitalisthasbecomenolessredundantasafunctionaryinproductionashehimself,lookingdownfromhishighperch,findsthebiglandownerredundant。Inasmuchasthecapitalist’sworkdoesnotoriginateinthepurelycapitalisticprocessofproduction,andhencedoesnotceaseonitsownwhencapitalceases;
inasmuchasitdoesnotconfineitselfsolelytothefunctionofexploitingthelabourofothers;inasmuchasitthereforeoriginatesfromthesocialformofthelabour-process,fromcombinationandco-operationofmanyinpursuanceofacommonresult,itisjustasindependentofcapitalasthatformitselfassoonasithasburstitscapitalisticshell。Tosaythatthislabourisnecessaryascapitalisticlabour,orasafunctionofthecapitalist,onlymeansthatthevulgusisunabletoconceivetheformsdevelopedinthelapofcapitalistproduction,separateandfreefromtheirantitheticalcapitalistcharacter。Theindustrialcapitalistisaworker,comparedtothemoney-capitalist,butaworkerinthesenseofcapitalist,i。e。,anexploiterofthelabourofothers。Thewagewhichheclaimsandpocketsforthislabourisexactlyequaltotheappropriatedquantityofanother’slabouranddependsdirectlyupontherateofexploitationofthislabour,insofarasheundertakestheeffortrequiredforexploitation;
itdoesnot,however,dependonthedegreeofexertionthatsuchexploitationdemands,andwhichhecanshifttoamanagerformoderatepay。Aftereverycrisisthereareenoughex-manufacturersintheEnglishfactorydistrictswhowillsupervise,forlowwages,whatworeformerlytheirownfactoriesinthecapacityofmanagersofthenewowners,whoarefrequentlytheircreditors。[5]
Thewagesofmanagementbothforthecommercialandindustrialmanagerarecompletelyisolatedfromtheprofitsofenterpriseintheco-operativefactoriesoflabourers,aswellasincapitaliststockcompanies。Theseparationofwagesofmanagementfromprofitsofenterprise,purelyaccidentalatothertimes,ishereconstant。Inaco-operativefactorytheantagonisticnatureofthelabourofsupervisiondisappears,becausethemanagerispaidbythelabourersinsteadofrepresentingcapitalcounterposedtothem。
Stockcompaniesingeneral——developedwiththecreditsystem——haveanincreasingtendencytoseparatethisworkofmanagementasafunctionfromtheownershipofcapital,beitself-ownedorborrowed。Justasthedevelopmentofbourgeoissocietywitnessedaseparationofthefunctionsofjudgesandadministratorsfromland-ownership,whoseattributestheywereinfeudaltimes。Butsince,ontheonehand,themereownerofcapital,themoney-capitalist,hastofacethefunctioningcapitalist,whilemoney-capitalitselfassumesasocialcharacterwiththeadvanceofcredit,beingconcentratedinbanksandloanedoutbytheminsteadofitsoriginalowners,andsince,ontheotherhand,themeremanagerwhohasnotitlewhatevertothecapital,whetherthroughborrowingitorotherwise,performsalltherealfunctionspertainingtothefunctioningcapitalistassuch,onlythefunctionaryremainsandthecapitalistdisappearsassuperfluousfromtheproductionprocess。
Itismanifestfromthepublicaccountsoftheco-operativefactoriesinEngland[6]that——afterdeductingthemanager’swages,whichformapartoftheinvestedvariablecapitalmuchthesameaswagesofotherlabourers——theprofitwashigherthantheaverageprofit,althoughattimestheypaidamuchhigherinterestthandidprivatemanufacturers。Thesourceofgreaterprofitsinallthesecaseswasgreatereconomyintheapplicationofconstantcapital。
Whatinterestsusinthis,however,isthefactthatheretheaverageprofit=interestprofitofenterprisepresentsitselfactuallyandpalpablyasamagnitudewhollyindependentofthewagesofmanagement。Sincetheprofitwashigherherethanaverageprofit,theprofitofenterprisewasalsohigherthanusual。
Thesamesituationisobservedinrelationtosomecapitaliststockcompanies,suchasjoint-stockbanks。TheLondonandWestminsterBankpaidanannualdividendof30%in1863,whiletheUnionBankofLondonandotherspaid15%。Asidefromthedirectors’salarytheinterestpaidfordepositsisheredeductedfromgrossprofit。Thehighprofitistobeexplainedherebythemoderateproportionofpaid-incapitaltodeposits。Forinstance,inthecaseoftheLondonandWestminsterBank,in1863:paid-incapital,£;1,000,000;deposits,£;14,540,275。AsfortheUnionBankofLondon,in1863:paid-incapital,£;600,000;deposits,£;12,384,173。
Profitofenterpriseandwagesofsupervision,ormanagement,wereconfusedoriginallyduototheantagonisticformassumedinrespecttointerestbythesurplusofprofit。Thiswasfurtherpromotedbytheapologeticaimofrepresentingprofitnotasasurplus-valuederivedfromunpaidlabour,butasthecapitalist’swagesforworkperformedbyhim。Thiswasmetonthepartofsocialistsbyademandtoreduceprofitactuallytowhatitpretendedtobetheoretically,namely,merewagesofsupervision。Andthisdemandwasallthemoreobnoxioustotheoreticalembellishment,themorethesewagesofsupervision,likeanyotherwage,foundtheirdefinitelevelanddefinitemarket-price,ontheonehand,withthedevelopmentofanumerousclassofindustrialandcommercialmanagers,[7]andthemoretheyfell,ontheother,likeallwagesforskilledlabour,withthegeneraldevelopmentwhichreducesthecostofproductionofspeciallytrainedlabour-power。[8]Withthedevelopmentofco-operationonthepartofthelabourers,andofstockenterprisesonthepartofthebourgeoisie,eventhelastpretextfortheconfusionofprofitofenterpriseandwagesofmanagementwasremoved,andprofitappearedalsoinpracticeasitundeniablyappearedintheory,asmeresurplus-value,avalueforwhichnoequivalentwaspaid,asrealisedunpaidlabour。Itwasthenseenthatthefunctioningcapitalistreallyexploitslabour,andthatthefruitofhisexploitation,whenworkingwithborrowedcapital,wasdividedintointerestandprofitofenterprise,asurplusofprofitoverinterest。
Onthebasisofcapitalistproductionanewswindledevelopsinstockenterpriseswithrespecttowagesofmanagement,inthatboardsofnumerousmanagersordirectorsareplacedabovetheactualdirector,forwhomsupervisionandmanagementserveonlyasapretexttoplunderthestockholdersandamasswealth。VerycuriousdetailsconcerningthisaretobefoundinTheCityorthePhysiologyofLondonBusiness;withSketchesonChange,andtheCoffeeHouses,London,1845。”Whatbankersandmerchantsgainbythedirectionofeightorninedifferentcompanies,maybeseenfromthefollowingillustration:TheprivatebalancesheetofMr。TimothyAbrahamCurtis,presentedtotheCourtofBankruptcywhenthatgentlemanfailed,exhibitedasampleoftheincomenettedfromdirectorship……between£;800
and£;900ayear。Mr。CurtishavingbeenassociatedwiththeCourtsoftheBankofEngland,andtheEastIndiaHouse,itwasconsideredquiteaplumforapubliccompanytoacquirehisservicesintheboardroom”pp。
81,82。Theremunerationofthedirectorsofsuchcompaniesforeachweeklymeetingisatleastoneguinea。TheproceedingsoftheCourtofBankruptcyshowthatthesewagesofsupervisionwere,asarule,inverselyproportionaltotheactualsupervisionperformedbythesenominaldirectors。
FOOTNOTES[1]”Theprofitsofenterprisedependuponthenetprofitsofcapital,notthelatterupontheformer。”Ramsay,EssayontheDistributionofWealth,p。214。ForRamsaynetprofitsalwaysmeaninterest。
[2]”Superintendenceishere”inthecaseofthefarmowner”completelydispensedwith。”J。E。Cairnes,TheSlavePower,London,1862,p。48。
[3]”Ifthenatureoftheworkrequiresthattheworkmen”viz。,theslaves”shouldbedispersedoveranextendedarea,thenumberofoverseers,and,therefore,thecostofthelabourwhichrequiresthissupervision,willbeproportionatelyincreased。”Cairnes,1。c。,p。44。
[4]A。Ure,PhilosophyofManufactures,Frenchtranslation,1836,I,p。67,wherethisPindarofthemanufacturersatthesametimetestifiesthatmostmanufacturershavenottheslightestunderstandingofthemechanismwhichtheysetinmotion。
[5]Inacaseknowntome,followingthecrisisof1868,abankruptmanufacturerbecamethepaidwage-labourerofhisownformerlabourers。Thefactorywasoperatedafterthebankruptcyofitsownerbyalabourers’co-operative,anditsformerownerwasemployedasmanager——F。E。
[6]Theaccountsquotedheregonofurtherthan1864,sincetheabovewaswrittenin1865——F。E。
[7]”Mastersarelabourersaswellastheirjourneymen。Inthischaractertheirinterestispreciselythesameasthatoftheirmen。Buttheyarealsoeithercapitalists,ortheagentsofthecapitalists,andinthisrespecttheirinterestisdecidedlyopposedtotheinterestsoftheworkmen。”p。
27。”Thewidespreadofeducationamongthejourneymenmechanicsofthiscountrydiminishesdailythevalueofthelabourandskillofalmostallmastersandemployersbyincreasingthenumberofpersonswhopossesstheirpeculiarknowledge”p。30,Hodgskin,LabourDefendedAgainsttheClaimsofCapital,etc。,London,1825。
[8]”Thegeneralrelaxationofconventionalbarriers,theincreasedfacilitiesofeducationtendtobringdownthewagesofskilledlabourinsteadofraisingthoseoftheunskilled。”J。St。Mill,PrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy,2nded。,London,1849,I,p。479。
Capital,Vol。3,Chapter24KarlMarxCAPITALVol。III
THEPROCESSOF
CAPITALISTPRODUCTIONASAWHOLEPartV
DIVISIONOFPROFITINTOINTERESTANDPROFIT
OFENTERPRISE。
INTEREST-BEARINGCAPITALCHAPTER24
ExternalizationoftheRelationsofCapitalintheFormofInterest-BearingCapitalTherelationsofcapitalassumetheirmostexternalisedandmostfetish-likeformininterest-bearingcapital。WehavehereM——M’,moneycreatingmoremoney,self-expandingvalue,withouttheprocessthateffectuatesthesetwoextremes。Inmerchant’scapital,M——C——M’,thereisatleastthegeneralformofthecapitalisticmovement,althoughitconfinesitselfsolelytothesphereofcirculation,sothatprofitappearsmerelyasprofitderivedfromalienation;butitisatleastseentobetheproductofasocialrelation,nottheproductofamerething。Theformofmerchant’scapitalatleastpresentsaprocess,aunityofopposingphases,amovementthatbreaksupintotwooppositeactions——thepurchaseandthesaleofcommodities。ThisisobliteratedinM——M’,theformofinterest-bearingcapital。Forinstance,if£;1,000areloanedoutbyacapitalistatarateofinterestof5%,thevalueof£;1,000
asacapitalforoneyear=CCi’,whereCisthecapitalandi’therateofinterest。Hence,5%=5/100=1/20,and1,0001,000x1/20=£;1,050。
Thevalueof£;1,000ascapital=£;1,050,i。e。,capitalisnotasimplemagnitude。Itisarelationshipofmagnitudes,arelationshipoftheprincipalsumasagivenvaluetoitselfasaself-expandingvalue,asaprincipalsumwhichhasproducedasurplus-value。Andcapitalassuch,aswehaveseen,assumesthisformofadirectlyself-expandingvalueforallactivecapitalists,whethertheyoperateontheirownorborrowedcapital。
M——M’。Wehaveheretheoriginalstarting-pointofcapital,moneyintheformulaM——C——M’reducedtoitstwoextremesM——M’,inwhichM’=MDM,moneycreatingmoremoney。Itistheprimaryandgeneralformulaofcapitalreducedtoameaninglesscondensation。Itisreadycapital,aunityoftheprocessofproductionandtheprocessofcirculation,andhencecapitalyieldingadefinitesurplus-valueinaparticularperiodoftime。Intheformofinterest-bearingcapitalthisappearsdirectly,unassistedbytheprocessesofproductionandcirculation。Capitalappearsasamysteriousandself-creatingsourceofinterest——thesourceofitsownincrease。Thethingmoney,commodity,valueisnowcapitalevenasamerething,andcapitalappearsasamerething。Theresultoftheentireprocessofreproductionappearsasapropertyinherentinthethingitself。Itdependsontheownerofthemoney,i。e。,ofthecommodityinitscontinuallyexchangeableform,whetherhewantstospenditasmoneyorloanitoutascapital。
Ininterest-bearingcapital,therefore,thisautomaticfetish,self-expandingvalue,moneygeneratingmoney,arebroughtoutintheirpurestateandinthisformitnolongerbearsthebirth-marksofitsorigin,Thesocialrelationisconsummatedintherelationofathing,ofmoney,toitself。
Insteadoftheactualtransformationofmoneyintocapital,weseehereonlyformwithoutcontent。Asinthecaseoflabour-power,theuse-valueofmoneyhereisitscapacityofcreatingvalue——avaluegreaterthanitcontains。Moneyasmoneyispotentiallyself-expandingvalueandisloanedoutassuch——whichistheformofsaleforthissingularcommodity。
Itbecomesapropertyofmoneytogeneratevalueandyieldinterest,muchasitisanattributeofpear-treestobearpears。Andthemoney-lendersellshismoneyasjustsuchaninterest-bearingthing。Butthatisnotall。Theactuallyfunctioningcapital,aswehaveseen,presentsitselfinsuchalight,thatitseemstoyieldinterestnotasafunctioningcapital,butascapitalinitself,asmoney-capital。
This,too,becomesdistorted。Whileinterestisonlyaportionoftheprofit,i。e。,ofthesurplus-value,whichthefunctioningcapitalistsqueezesoutofthelabourer,itappearsnow,onthecontrary,asthoughinterestwerethetypicalproductofcapital,theprimarymatter,andprofit,intheshapeofprofitofenterprise,wereamereaccessoryandby-productoftheprocessofreproduction。Thuswegetthefetishformofcapitalandtheconceptionoffetishcapital。InM——M’wehavethemeaninglessformofcapital,theperversionandobjectificationofproductionrelationsintheirhighestdegree,theinterest-bearingform,thesimpleformofcapital,inwhichitantecedesitsownprocessofreproduction。Itisthecapacityofmoney,orofacommodity,toexpanditsownvalueindependentlyofreproduction——whichisamystificationofcapitalinitsmostflagrantform。
Forvulgarpoliticaleconomy,whichseekstorepresentcapitalasanindependentsourceofvalue,ofvaluecreation,thisformisnaturallyaveritablefind,aforminwhichthesourceofprofitisnolongerdiscernible,andinwhichtheresultofthecapitalistprocessofproduction——divorcedfromtheprocess——acquiresanindependentexistence。
Itisnotuntilcapitalismoney-capitalthatitbecomesacommodity,whosecapacityforself-expansionhasadefinitepricequotedeverytimeineveryprevailingrateofinterest。
Asinterest-bearingcapital,andparticularlyinitsdirectformofinterest-bearingmoney-capitaltheotherformsofinterest-bearingcapital,whichdonotconcernushere,arederivativesofthisformandpresupposeitsexistence,capitalassumesitspurefetishform,M——M’beingthesubject,thesaleablething。Firstly,throughitscontinualexistenceasmoney,aform,inwhichallitsspecificattributesareobliteratedanditsrealelementsinvisible。Formoneyispreciselythatforminwhichthedistinctivefeaturesofcommoditiesasuse-valuesareobscured,andhencealsothedistinctivefeaturesoftheindustrialcapitalswhichconsistofthesecommoditiesandconditionsoftheirproduction。Itisthatform,inwhichvalue-inthiscasecapital-existsasanindependentexchange-value。
Inthereproductionprocessofcapital,themoney-formisbuttransient-amerepointoftransit。Butinthemoney-marketcapitalalwaysexistsinthisform。Secondly,thesurplus-valueproducedbyit,hereagainintheformofmoney,appearsasaninherentpartofit。Asthegrowingprocessistotrees,sogeneratingmoneytocoz
appearsinnateincapitalinitsformofmoney-capital。
Ininterest-bearingcapitalthemovementofcapitaliscontracted。Theinterveningprocessisomitted。Inthisway,acapital=1,000isfixedasathing,whichinitself=1,400,andwhichistransformedafteracertainperiodinto1,100justaswinestoredinacellarimprovesitsuse-valueafteracertainperiod。Capitalisnowathing,butasathingitiscapital。
Moneyisnowpregnant。[Goethe,Faust,PartI,Scene5——Ed]Assoonasitisloanedout,orinvestedinthereproductionprocessinasmuchasityieldsinteresttothefunctioningcapitalistasitsowner,separatefromprofitofenterprise,interestonitgrows,nomatterwhetheritisawakeorasleep,isathomeorabroad,bydayorbynight。Thusinterest-bearingmoney-capitalandallcapitalismoney-capitalintermsofitsvalue,orisconsideredastheexpressionofmoney-capitalfulfilsthemostferventwishofthehoarder。
Itisthisingrownexistenceofinterestinmoney-capitalasinathingthisishowtheproductionofsurplus-valuethroughcapitalappearshere,whichoccupiesLuther’sattentionsothoroughlyinhisnaiveonslaughtagainstusury。Afterdemonstratingthatinterestmaybedemandedifthefailuretorepayaloanonadefinitedatetoalenderwhohimselfrequiredittomakesomepayment,causedalosstohim,orresultedinhismissinganopportunitytomakeaprofitonabargain,forinstance,inbuyingagarden,Luthercontinues:”NowthatIhaveloanedyouthem100gulden,youcausemeadoublelossduetomynotbeingabletopayontheonehandnorbuyontheother,sothatIhavetoloseonbothsides,andthisiscalledduplexinteresse,damniemergentisetlucricessantis……OnhearingthatJohnsustainedlossesonhisloanof100guldenanddemandsjustdamages,theyrushinandchargedoubleonevery100gulden,suchdoublereimbursement,namely,forthelossduetonon-paymentandtoinabilitytomakeaprofitonabargain,justasthoughthese100guldenhadthedoublelossgrownontothem,sothatwhenevertheyhave100gulden,theyloanthemoutandchargefortwolosses,whichtheyhavenotatallsustained……Thereforeyouareausurer,whotakesdamagesoutofhisneighbour’smoneyforanimaginarylossthatyoudidnotsustainatall,andwhichyoucanneitherprovenorcalculate。Thissortoflossiscalledbythejuristsnonverum,sedphantasticuminteresse。Itisalosswhicheachconjuresupforhimself……Itwillnotdotosay,therefore,thattherecouldhavebeenlossesbecauseIcouldnothavebeenabletopayorbuy。Elseitwouldmeanexcontingentenecessarium,whichismakingsomethingoutofathingthatisnot,andathingthatisuncertainintoathingthatisabsolutelysure。Wouldnotsuchusurydevourtheworldinafewyears?……Ifanunhappyaccidentbefallshimagainsthiswill,andhemustrecoverfromit,hemaydemanddamagesforit,butitisdifferentintradeandjustthereverse。Theretheyschemetoprofitattheexpenseoftheirneedyneighbours,howtoamasswealthandgetrich,tobelazyandidleandliveinluxuryonthelabourofothers,withoutanycare,danger,andloss。Tositbythestoveandletmy100guldengatherwealthformeinthecountryandyetkeeptheminmypocket,becausetheyareonlyloaned,withoutanydangerorrisk-myfriend,whowouldnotlikethat?”
MartinLuther,AndiePfarherrnwiderdenWucherzupredigen,etc。,Wittenberg,1540。
Theconceptionofcapitalasaself-reproducingandself-expandingvalue,lastingandgrowingeternallybyvirtueofitsinnateproperties——hencebyvirtueofthehiddenqualityofscholasticists——hasledtothefabulousfanciesofDr。Price,whichoutdobyfarthefantasiesofthealchemists;
fancies,inwhichPittbelievedinallearnest,andwhichheusedaspillarsofhisfinancialadministrationinhislawsconcerningthesinkingfund。”Moneybearingcompoundinterestincreasesatfirstslowly。But,therateofincreasebeingcontinuallyaccelerated,itbecomesinsometimesorapid,astomockallthepowersoftheimagination。Onepenny,putoutatourSaviour’sbirthto5percentcompoundinterest,would,beforethistime,haveincreasedtoagreatersum,thanwouldbecontainedinahundredandfiftymillionsofearths,allsolidgold。Butifputouttosimpleinterest,itwould,inthesametime,haveamountedtonomorethansevenshillingsandfourpencehalf-penny。Ourgovernmenthashithertochosentoimprovemoneyinthelast,ratherthanthefirstoftheseways。”[1]
HisfancyfliesstillhigherinhisObservationsonReversionaryPayments,etc。,London,1772。Thereweread:”Ashillingputoutto6%compoundinterestatourSavioursbirth”presumablyintheTempleofJerusalem”would……haveincreasedtoagreatersumthanthewholesolarsystemcouldhold,supposingitasphereequalindiametertothediameterofSaturn’sorbit。””Astateneedneverthereforebeunderanydifficulties;
forwiththesmallestsavingsitmayinaslittletimeasitsinterestcanrequirepayoffthelargestdebts”pp。XIII,XIV。WhataprettytheoreticalintroductiontothenationaldebtofEngland!
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