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The Capital

The document provides an overview of two significant works titled 'The Capital': Karl Marx's 'Capital: Critique of Political Economy' and Robert Menasse's 'The Capital'. Marx's work analyzes capitalism's exploitation of labor and introduces key concepts like commodity fetishism and surplus value, while Menasse's novel offers a satirical look at the European Union through interwoven characters and themes of bureaucracy and identity. Both works have had a profound impact on their respective fields, influencing political thought and literary culture.

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60 views3 pages

The Capital

The document provides an overview of two significant works titled 'The Capital': Karl Marx's 'Capital: Critique of Political Economy' and Robert Menasse's 'The Capital'. Marx's work analyzes capitalism's exploitation of labor and introduces key concepts like commodity fetishism and surplus value, while Menasse's novel offers a satirical look at the European Union through interwoven characters and themes of bureaucracy and identity. Both works have had a profound impact on their respective fields, influencing political thought and literary culture.

Uploaded by

colabsky
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Certainly.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of "The Capital" — but first, it's important to clarify
which work you mean, as multiple major works carry the title The Capital. The two most significant
are:

1. "Capital: Critique of Political Economy" by Karl Marx


(Das Kapital)

Overview
• Author: Karl Marx
• First Volume Published: 1867
• Original Language: German
• Common Title: Capital, Das Kapital, or The Capital
• Volumes: Three (the second and third edited and published posthumously by Friedrich Engels)

Purpose
• To provide a scientific analysis of capitalism — especially how it exploits labor to generate
profit.
• It's a foundational text in Marxist theory, economics, politics, and sociology.

Core Concepts
• Commodity fetishism: Treating commodities as if they have intrinsic value independent of
human labor.
• Labor theory of value: The value of a good is determined by the socially necessary labor time
to produce it.
• Surplus value: Profit arises from the difference between the value produced by labor and the
wages paid to laborers.
• Capital accumulation: How capitalists reinvest profits to expand capital — leading to cycles of
boom and bust.
• Alienation: Under capitalism, workers are alienated from the products of their labor, their own
potential, and each other.

Impact
• Hugely influential in politics (e.g., communism, socialism), philosophy, economics, and critical
theory.
• Basis of many 20th-century revolutions and ideologies.
• Still widely studied and debated today.
2. "The Capital" by Robert Menasse
(Die Hauptstadt)

Overview
• Author: Robert Menasse (Austrian novelist)
• Published: 2017 (original German); English translation in 2019
• Genre: Political satire, literary fiction
• Awards: Winner of the German Book Prize (2017)

Setting
• Set in Brussels, in and around the European Commission — the bureaucratic heart of the
European Union.

Plot and Themes


• A deeply satirical and polyphonic novel that follows various interwoven characters:
• A bureaucrat planning a celebration of the EU.
• A historian researching the Holocaust and EU origins.
• A pig that mysteriously appears in Brussels.
• A Polish assassin, an Austrian professor, and a variety of officials.
• Themes include:
• The identity crisis of the European Union.
• Bureaucracy vs. ideals.
• Memory, nationalism, and historical guilt, especially around the Holocaust.
• The absurdities and banalities of modern European politics.

Style and Structure


• Multiple perspectives, ironic tone, and sophisticated structure.
• Blends comedy with serious political reflection.

Impact
• Celebrated for its insight into European political culture.
• A rare successful work of literary fiction about the EU.
Summary Comparison
Work Author Focus Type
Political philosophy,
Capital / Das Kapital Karl Marx Capitalism, labor, economics
economics
The Capital / Die Robert European Union, memory,
Literary fiction, satire
Hauptstadt Menasse bureaucracy

Would you like a deeper dive into Marx’s economic theory, or Menasse’s political satire — or both?

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