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Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg #2
The Complete Works of Rosa Luxemburg, Volume II: Economic Writings 2
The second volume in Rosa Luxemburg’s Complete Works , entitled Economic Writings 2 , contains a new English translation of Luxemburg’s The Accumulation of A Contribution to the Economic Theory of Imperialism , one of the most important works ever composed on capitalism’s incessant drive for self-expansion and the integral connection between capitalism and imperialism. This new translation is the first to present the full work as composed by the author. It also contains her book-length response to her critics, The Accumulation of Capital, Or, What the Epigones Have Made Out of Marx’s Theory—An Anti-Critique . Taken together, these two works represent one of the most important Marxist studies of the globalization of capital. Also included is an essay on the second and third volumes of Marx’s Capital , which had originally appeared as an unattributed chapter in Franz Mehring’s book Karl Marx . Thank you to David Gaharia for helping to support the translation of this book.
576 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2015
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About the author
Rosa Luxemburg
490 books864 followersRosa Luxemburg (Rosalia Luxemburg, Polish: Róża Luksemburg) was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen. She was successively a member of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, the Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD), the Independent Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party of Germany.
In 1915, after the SPD supported German involvement in World War I, she co-founded, with Karl Liebknecht, the anti-war Spartakusbund (Spartacist League). On 1 January 1919 the Spartacist League became the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). In November 1918, during the German Revolution she founded the Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag), the central organ of the Spartacist movement.
She regarded the Spartacist uprising of January 1919 in Berlin as a blunder, but supported it after Liebknecht ordered it without her knowledge. When the revolt was crushed by the social democrat government and the Freikorps (WWI veterans defending the Weimar Republic), Luxemburg, Liebknecht and some of their supporters were captured and murdered. Luxemburg was drowned in the Landwehr Canal in Berlin. After their deaths, Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht became martyrs for Marxists. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, commemoration of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht continues to play an important role among the German far-left.
In 1915, after the SPD supported German involvement in World War I, she co-founded, with Karl Liebknecht, the anti-war Spartakusbund (Spartacist League). On 1 January 1919 the Spartacist League became the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). In November 1918, during the German Revolution she founded the Die Rote Fahne (The Red Flag), the central organ of the Spartacist movement.
She regarded the Spartacist uprising of January 1919 in Berlin as a blunder, but supported it after Liebknecht ordered it without her knowledge. When the revolt was crushed by the social democrat government and the Freikorps (WWI veterans defending the Weimar Republic), Luxemburg, Liebknecht and some of their supporters were captured and murdered. Luxemburg was drowned in the Landwehr Canal in Berlin. After their deaths, Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht became martyrs for Marxists. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, commemoration of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht continues to play an important role among the German far-left.
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December 13, 2017
This second volume of Rosa Luxemburg's complete works from Verso covers probably her most significant economic work, The Accumulation of Capital, along with her response to the critical reviews of that book and another shorter description of Marx's second and third volumes of Capital.
I have no complaints with the collection as presented by Verso. There is a brief introduction which situates Luxemburg and the works in this collection for the reader. It is also useful to see the response to her critics along with the book itself.
As for Luxemburg's "The Accumulation of Capital" itself, it is a thought provoking critique of Marx's reproduction schemas. It bogs down a little when working through the various 18th and 19th century economists and how they have tackled reproduction, although this is useful background. Nor am I convinced by Luxemburg's thesis that accumulation can only proceed when non-capitalist areas are available to support expansion. That said this book is an important part of the development of Marxist thinking on accumulation and a useful challenge to the basis of Marx's thinking.
The "Anti-Critique" is more of its time, a specific response to critics who are long gone, and therefore probably of more historic interest than anything else.
The outline of Volumes 2 and 3 of Capital is more interesting, a good short summary.
So in short a reasonable collection, incorporating one of Luxemburg's most important books, well translated, and with a useful introduction.
I have no complaints with the collection as presented by Verso. There is a brief introduction which situates Luxemburg and the works in this collection for the reader. It is also useful to see the response to her critics along with the book itself.
As for Luxemburg's "The Accumulation of Capital" itself, it is a thought provoking critique of Marx's reproduction schemas. It bogs down a little when working through the various 18th and 19th century economists and how they have tackled reproduction, although this is useful background. Nor am I convinced by Luxemburg's thesis that accumulation can only proceed when non-capitalist areas are available to support expansion. That said this book is an important part of the development of Marxist thinking on accumulation and a useful challenge to the basis of Marx's thinking.
The "Anti-Critique" is more of its time, a specific response to critics who are long gone, and therefore probably of more historic interest than anything else.
The outline of Volumes 2 and 3 of Capital is more interesting, a good short summary.
So in short a reasonable collection, incorporating one of Luxemburg's most important books, well translated, and with a useful introduction.
Displaying 1 of 1 review