Re: [OPE-L] queries: 'primitive' or 'original'; "so-called" or not; expropriation and accumulation

From: Paul Zarembka (zarembka@BUFFALO.EDU)
Date: Thu Sep 07 2006 - 14:42:44 EDT


1 and 3. The French -- which Marx edited last -- has 'Le secret de
l'accumulation primitive', no reference to so-called.

2. I don't understand what the non-classic case Jerry has as his
antecedent.

Paul

Quoting Michael Perelman <michael@ECST.CSUCHICO.EDU>:

> Smith's Original becomes Ursprunlich becomes primitive.  I think that
> it improves
> with each mistranslation.
>
> On Thu, Sep 07, 2006 at 10:52:04AM -0400, glevy@PRATT.EDU wrote:
> > Hi Paul Z:
> >
> > A few queries:
> >
> > 1) the English translation Part Eight of Volume One of _Capital_
> has the
> > title: "So-Called Primitive Accumulation".  Yet, the title and
> references
> > to the topic in Ch. 26 doesn't contain "so-called" (sogenannte).
> Should
> > it be referred to with or without the "so-called"?    Statements
> like "In
> > the history  of primitive accumulation, are revolutions are
> epoch-making
> > that act as levers for the capitalist class in the course of its
> formation
> > ...." (p. 876 Penguin ed.) suggest that it was a historical reality
> rather
> > than merely a "so-called" phenomenon.
> >
> > 2) In the same para. cited above where Marx refers to the history
> of
> > primitive accumulation,  he also refers to "the expropriation of
> the
> > agricultural producer, the peasant, from the soil"  and "The
> history of
> > this expropriation assumes different aspects in different
> countries, and
> > runs through its various phases in different orders of succession,
> and
> > at different historical epochs.  Only in England, which we
> therefore
> > take as our example, has it the classic form." Wouldn't this
> suggest
> > that, at least in this para., he was referring to primitive
> accumulation
> > and this form of expropriation [the expropriation of the
> agricultural
> > producer] as interchangeable expressions?
> >                            ..
> > 3) Should   "ursprunglichen"  be translated as "primitive" or
> "original"?
> > To what extent does the translation have any import in terms of the
> debate
> > of the contemporary relevance or irrelevance of this process?
> >
> > In solidarity, Jerry
> >
> >
> >
> > > I don't know about a documentary, but do remark that "primitive
> acc." is
> > > used by Marx only for the transition from feudalism to capitalism
> in the
> > > original constitution of the C.M. of P.
> > > For the 19-21 centuries, I prefer usage saying simply
> "expropriation
> > > ...".   For those interested, I documented my point in The
> Commoner a
> > > few years back.
>
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA 95929
>
> Tel. 530-898-5321
> E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
> michaelperelman.wordpress.com
>
>
>


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