
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Primitive Accumulation as a Problem Primitive Accumulation as a Problem
-
Saint-Simonian Recidivism? Saint-Simonian Recidivism?
-
Marx’s Radical History Marx’s Radical History
-
Treachery and the Birth of the Capitalist Order Treachery and the Birth of the Capitalist Order
-
-
Negating the Negation Negating the Negation
-
A Hegelian Crutch? A Hegelian Crutch?
-
Tantae molis erat … Tantae molis erat …
-
The Exit from Capital The Exit from Capital
-
-
Conclusion Conclusion
-
-
-
-
6 Cocytus: Treachery and the Necessity of Expropriation
Get access-
Published:March 2018
Cite
Abstract
This chapter examines part eight of Capital, where Karl Marx highlights the treachery involved in “primitive accumulation.” Marx's narrative that the history of capitalism's creation is a history of treachery finds its most fitting illustrations in the depths of Dante's Hell, where Cocytus, the frozen wasteland at the bottom of the world, entombs the treacherous in ice. In the final three chapters of Capital, Marx shows how the modern state has come to be dependent upon capital accumulation, and, thus, the primary agent of primitive accumulation. The chapter first reconstructs Marx's account of the origins of the modern proletariat and of the capitalist class in order to harmonize his views on primitive accumulation with his understanding of capitalist exploitation. It then considers Marx's argument against separatism and petty production, and more specifically his contention that the working class can exit capitalism only through a confrontation with the necessity of expropriation.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
November 2022 | 3 |
July 2023 | 2 |
June 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 1 |
September 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.