Studies in Mutualist Political Economy

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I have criticized the law of Labour Value with all the severity that a doctrine so utterly false seemed to me to deserve. It may be that my criticism also is open to many objections. But one thing at any rate seems to me certain: earnest writers concerned to find out the truth will not in future venture to content themselves with asserting the law of value as has been hitherto done.

In future any one who thinks that he can maintain this law will first of all be obliged to supply what his predecessors have omitted--a proof that can be taken seriously. Not quotations from authorities; not protesting and dogmatising phrases; but a proof that earnestly and conscientiously goes into the essence of the matter. On such a basis no one will be more ready and willing to continue the discussion than myself.

--Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk. Capital and Interest p. 389

Studies in

Mutualist Political Economy

By Kevin A. Carson

CONTENTS

Preface

Part One--Theoretical Foundations: Value Theory

Chapter One--The Marginalist Attack on Classical Political Economy: An Assessment and Counter-Attack

A. Statement of the Classical Labor Theory of Value

B. Vulgar Political Economy, Marginalism, and the Issue of Ideological Motivation

C. The Marginalists versus Ricardo

D. Exceptions to the Cost-Principle: The Classicals in Their Own Defense

E. Generality and Paradigms

F. The Marshallian Synthesis

G. Rothbard versus the Marshallian Synthesis

Notes

Chapter Two--A Subjective Recasting of the Labor Theory of Value

Notes

Chapter Three--Time Preference and the Labor Theory of Value

Notes

Part Two--Capitalism and the State: Past, Present and Future

Introduction--Exploitation and the Political Means

Notes

Chapter Four--Primitive Accumulation and the Rise of Capitalism

Introduction

A. The Expropriation of Land in the Old World

B. Political Preemption of Land in Settler Societies

C. Political Repression and Control in the Industrial Revolution

D. Mercantilism, Colonialism, and the Creation of the "World Market"

Conclusion: "The World We Have Lost"--And Will Regain

Appendix--On the "Necessity" of Primitive Accumulation

Notes

Chapter Five--The State and Capitalism in the "Laissez-Faire" Era

A. Tucker's Big Four: Absentee Landlordism

B. Tucker's Big Four: The Money Monopoly

C. Tucker's Big Four: Patents

D. Tucker's Big Four: Tariffs

E. Transportation Subsidies

Notes

Chapter Six--The Rise of Monopoly Capitalism

Introduction

A. Liberal Corporatism, Regulatory Cartelization, and the Permanent Warfare State

B. Power Elite Theory

C. Monopoly Capital and Super-Profits

D. Socialization of Costs as a Form of Cartelization

Notes

Chapter Seven--Monopoly Capitalism and Imperialism

Introduction

A. "Open Door Imperialism" Through the 1930s

B. The Bretton Woods System: Culmination of Open Door Empire

C. Export-Dependent Monopoly Capitalism (with Digression on Economy of Scale)

Notes

Chapter Eight--Crisis Tendencies

Introduction

A. Accumulation Crisis

B. Fiscal and Input Crises

C. Legitimation Crisis

D. Neoliberal Reaction and Political Repression

E. Built-in Limits to Effectiveness of Neoliberal Reaction

F. Neoconservatism as Attempted Defense Against Legitimation Crisis

G. The Frankfurt School: Fascism and the Abandonment of the Law of Value

H. Global Political Crisis of Imperialism

Notes

Part Three--Praxis

Chapter Nine: Ends and Means

A. Organizing Principles

B. Getting There

Notes

Bibliography

"Congratulations Kevin! What you have done is a real break-through. With IRON FIST you gave us the first real development of anarchist economics since the days of Tucker and Proudhon. Now with MUTUALIST ECONOMICS you have given us a larger systematic approach – a dialectical critique and synthesis of marxist, marginalist, rothbardian and trad anarcho economics which used to examine and critique contemporary society. No longer need anarchists look embarrassed when the subject of economics comes up and simply grasp at vulgar marxism or mumble about something written 150 years ago and has never been developed since. There is something here for all anarchists to learn from, and not just mutualists and individualists."

--Larry Gambone, Red Lion Press