Capital: An Introduction to the Three Volumes

This chapter introduces Capital in its entirety to the reader who is a newcomer to the book, but is somewhat knowledgeable in the history of ideas and, in particular, Marxism. It starts by explaining how Capital aims to provide a theoretical analysis of capitalism but at the same time a basis for revolutionary activity under this form of society. It then discusses Marx’s work as a critique of political economy and briefly explains the dialectical method that Marx uses in the book. After defining the subject matter treated by Marx, it proceeds to a careful discussion on the architecture of Capital, thus making it possible for the reader to situate the different volumes of the book in relation to each other. Having touched upon the relevance of the book to the realities of the twenty-first century, the article finally summarises the concept of the “laws of motion of capital” according to Marx.