Friday, September 2, 2011

Reading Marx's Capital with David Harvey

I read an essay recently which used Marx in the most marvellous way, Marc Redfield and Janet Farrell Brodie, "Introduction" to their edited collection entitled High Anxieties: Cultural studies in addiction (2002).
They cite Marx at length, including this passage:
A table continues to be wood, an ordinary sensuous thing. But as soon as it emerges as a commodity, it changes into a thing which transcends sensuousness. It not only stands with its feet on the ground, but, in relation to other commodities, it stands on its head, and evolves out of its wooden brain grotesque ideas, far more wonderful than if it were to begin dancing of its own free will" (1: 163-164).

For a close reading of the text of Karl Marx’s Capital Volume I in 13 video lectures by Professor David Harvey, go here:
http://davidharvey.org/reading-capital/