LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD.
RUSKIN HOUSE, MUSEUM STREET, W.C.
NEW YORK : : : : : : : : THE MACMILLAN CO.
First published by Howard Latimer Ltd. 1914
Transferred to George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1915
[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED]
CONTENTS
| [Introduction] | ix | |
| [CHAPTER I] | ||
| Concerning the Scientific Form of Historical Materialism | ||
1. Scope of essay: Labriola's book implies that historical materialism is not a philosophy of history: Distinction between a philosophy of history and philosophising about history: Reason why two have been confused: Materialistic theory of History as stated by Labriola not an attempt to establish a law of history: This contrasted with theories of monists, and teleologists: Engels' statement that it is a new method erroneous: New content not new method | [2] | |
2. Historical materialism a mass of new data of which historian becomes conscious: Does not state that history is nothing more than economic history, nor does it provide a theory of history: Is simply investigation of influence economic needs have exercised in history: This view does not detract from its importance | [12] | |
3. Questions as to relations between historical materialism and socialism; Only possible connection lies in special historical application: Bearing of historical materialism upon intellectual and moral truth: Throws light on influence of material conditions on their development, but does not demonstrate their relativity: Absolute morality a necessary postulate of socialism | [21] | |
| [CHAPTER II] | ||
| Concerning Historical Materialism Viewed as a Science of Social Economics | ||
1. Relation between Professor Stammler's book on historical materialism and Marxism: Distinction between pure economics and general historical economics: Socialism not dependent on abstract sociological theory: Stammler's classification of the social sciences: His definition of society: Of social economics: Of social teleology: Nature of Stammler's social science does not provide abstract sociology: Social economics must be either pure economics applied to society or a form of history | [25] | |
| [CHAPTER III] | ||
| Concerning the Interpretation and Criticism of Some Concepts of Marxism | ||
| I. OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM IN MARX'S 'DAS KAPITAL' | ||
Das Kapital an abstract investigation: His society is not this or that society: Treats only of capitalist society: Assumption of equivalence between value and labour: Varying views about meaning of this law: Is a postulate or standard of comparison: Question as to value of this standard: Is not a moral ideal: Treats of economic society in so far as is a working society: Shows special way in which problem is solved in capitalist society: Marx's deductions from it | [48] | |
| II. MARX'S PROBLEM AND PURE ECONOMICS (GENERAL ECONOMIC SCIENCE) | ||
Marxian economics not general economic science and labour-value not a general concept of value: Engels' rejection of general economic law: abstract concepts used by Marx are concepts of pure economics: relation of economic psychology to pure economics: pure economics does not destroy history or progress | [66] | |
| III. CONCERNING THE LIMITATION OF THE MATERIALISTIC THEORY OF HISTORY | ||
Historical materialism a canon of historical interpretation: Canon does not imply anticipation of results: Question as to how Marx and Engels understood it: Difficulty of ascertaining correctly and method of doing so: How Marxians understand it: Their metaphysical tendency: Instances of confusion of concepts in their writings: Historical materialism has not a special philosophy immanent within it | [77] | |
| IV. OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IN FACE OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
Socialism and free trade not scientific deductions: Obsolete metaphysics of old theory of free trade: Basis of modern free trade theories not strictly scientific though only possible one: The desirable is not science nor the practicable: Scientific law only applicable under certain conditions: Element of daring in all action | [93] | |
| V. OF ETHICAL JUDGMENT IN FACE OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
Meaning of Marx's phrase the 'impotence of morality' and his remark that morality condemns what has been condemned by history: Profundity of Marx's philosophy immaterial: Kant's position not surpassed | [106] | |
| VI. CONCLUSION | ||
Recapitulation: 1. Justification of Marxian economics as comparative sociological economics: 2. Historical materialism simply a canon of historical interpretation: 3. Marxian social programme not a pure science: 4. Marxism neither intrinsically moral nor anti-moral | [115] | |
| [CHAPTER IV] | ||
| Recent Interpretations of the Marxian Theory of Value and Controversies Concerning Them | ||
| I | ||
Labriola's criticism of method and conclusions of preceeding essays answered: His criticism merely destructive: Tendency of other thinkers to arrive at like conclusions | [120] | |
| II | ||
Meaning of phrase crisis in Marxianism: Sorel's view of equivalence of value and labour mostly in agreement with view put forward above: An attempt to examine profits independently of theory of value: Is not possible: Surplus product same as surplus value | [131] | |
| [CHAPTER V] | ||
| A Criticism of the Marxian Law of the Fall in the Rate of Profits | ||
Interpretation here given assumes acceptance of Marx's main principles: Necessary decline in rate of profit on hypothesis of technical improvement: Two successive stages confused by Marx: More accurately a decline in amount of profit: Marx assumes that would be an increase of capital: Would be same capital and increase in rate of profits: Decline in rate of profits due to other reasons | [142] | |
| [CHAPTER VI] | ||
| On the Economic Principle | ||
| TWO LETTERS TO PROFESSOR V. PARETO | ||
| I | ||
Need for more comprehensive definition of the economic principle: Reasons why the mechanical conception erroneous, economic fact capable of appraisement: Cannot be scale of values for particular action: Economic datum a fact of human activity: Distinction and connection between pleasure and choice: Economic datum a fact of will: Knowledge a necessary presupposition of will: Distinction between technical and economic: Analogy of logic and æsthetic: Complete definition of economic datum | [159] | |
| II | ||
Disagreement (1) about method (2) postulates: (1) Nothing arbitrary in economic method, analogy of classificatory sciences erroneous: (2) Metaphysical postulate that facts of human activity same as physical facts erroneous: Definition of practical activity in so far as admits of definition: Moral and economic activity and approval: Economic and moral remorse: Economic scale of values | [174] | |
| [Index of Names] | 187 | |