

Marx's Capital Vol. 2 w/ Richard Wolff and Shahram Azhar
12 snips Jul 29, 2025
Join Richard Wolff, a seasoned economist and educator, alongside Shahram Azhar, a political economist and musician, as they unravel the complexities of Marx's Capital Vol. 2. They discuss the transition from understanding surplus value to examining the entire process of capital circulation. The conversation dives into economic nodes' dynamics, the contrasting worlds of merchant and productive capitalists, and the impacts of retail giants like Walmart on small producers. Tune in for insights that challenge common profit narratives and dissect the nuances of class dynamics in capitalism.
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Capital as Circulation Process
- Capital Volume 2 highlights how capital circulates through various forms beyond production.
- It problematizes the working class concept by showing workers producing surplus versus those who don't.
Merchant vs Industrial Capitalists
- Merchant capitalists earn by buying low and selling at a higher price without producing new value.
- Productive industrial capitalists depend on merchants for selling goods, forming an interdependent relationship.
Expanding Working Class Concept
- Productive and unproductive labor are analytical categories, not insults.
- Class solidarity should include all workers who sell labor power despite differences in production roles.