Capital (Das Kapital, 1867) by Karl Marx, published in the Modern Library edition, is the foundational text of Marxist economics and a searing critique of capitalism. Volume 1 (the only volume Marx completed) dissects the mechanics of capital, exposing how labor exploitation (surplus value), commodity fetishism, and class struggle underpin bourgeois society. Marx’s dialectical method—blending philosophy, history, and economic theory—reveals capitalism as a system both dynamic and doomed by its contradictions.
The Modern Library edition typically includes an authoritative translation (e.g., Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling’s 1887 version) and may feature supplementary essays. While dense, its insights into alienation, accumulation, and crisis remain eerily relevant.
A revolutionary tome, whether read as theory, prophecy, or call to action.
