Through Exchange: Karatani Compared With Marx

The following paper has as its object the political philosophy of K. Karatani, in particular its relationship with the work of Marx. Japanese philosopher, in fact, reinterprets some elements of Marxian theory in the light of Kantian categories, hybridizing the ethical and moral theory of the latter with the critique of the political economy of the former. The result of Karatani's project can be seen, in particular, in two works. With the first, Transcritique, Karatani moves into the realm of philosophy to construct a method that holds the two theoretical poles together. The concept of 'Transcritique', in fact, represents the junction between Kantian and Marxian insights. With the second work, 'The Structure of World History', the Japanese philosopher shifts the analytical focus from ethics to economics, proposing a different interpretation of capitalism and its historical cycles. The shift of the observation of the capitalist system from the sphere of production to that of exchange represents the analytical novelty. Carrying through to the end the methodology developed in the previous work, Karatani traces back to exchange all the productive, institutional and political dynamics produced over time. Cycles of accumulation thus become cycles of exchange. The author, in fact, determines a correspondence between the specific modes of exchange and the consequent political structures, highlighting the centrality that money occupies, both in the theoretical elaboration and in political reality. The prevailing mode of production, based on the exchange of commodities, relies on the absolute mobility of money and on the strength of the state political institution, which acts as a hinge between the global dimension of exchanges and the territorial need for the appropriation of surplus-value. Karatani's critique is embodied in a political proposal, articulated through two key figures: community and cosmopolitanism. With the first term, the philosopher opposes the materiality of human relationships based on reciprocity to the abstract equivalence of economic relationships. By the second term, he shows the need for an extended political practice in which the pursuit of local freedom goes hand in hand with the realization of global justice. The paper traces these themes both through direct exposure of Karatani's work and by offering critical comparisons with other authors who have addressed similar issues. Finally, the purpose of this paper is to emphasize the originality of the Japanese author's philosophical-historical work, suspended between utopia and pragmatism, also through criticism, in order to highlight its strengths and underline its potential weaknesses.

What is commercial capital? Japanese contributions to Marxian market theory

This article deals with the Japanese contributions to the Marxian theory of commercial capital, which can be originally found in Part 4 of Capital Vol. 3. This part was formerly considered important for developing the historical development of capitalist society in Japan, which is called the stages theory. From the 1980s to the 2000s, Shigekatsu Yamaguchi led the Japanese studies on the Marxian theory of commercial capital to reorganise the theory in Parts 4 and 5 of Capital Vol. 3, thereby pioneering the theoretical study of the capitalist market. Based on that development, we discuss the reconstruction of the relationship between the theory of the capitalist market and the stages theory, thereby illustrating a renewed and clearer understanding of the historical trajectory of capitalism.

Between The Symbolic And The Sublime : Slavoj Žižek In Film Studies ... And Out

The following dissertation examines film theory' s contribution to the Marxian theory of ideology. I argue that while early film theorists sought to develop a theory of film, film theory better serves the study and critique of ideology. I claim that the study of film and spectatorship can add to knowledge of ideology and subjectivity. To this end, I examine the relevance of the Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst, Slavoj Žižek, for contemporary film studies. I locate Žižek's place within film studies through a debate between himself and the prominent American film scholar, David Bordwell. Bordwell is well known for his advocacy of cognitive and middle-level research in film studies, and for his criticism of film theory (or, 'Theory'). He is one of the leaders of a movement in film studies known as post-Theory. I take up the debate between Žižek and Bordwell, and argue that the post-Theory rejection of Theory is an ideological effect of the class struggle. After carving out a place for Žižek in film studies, I examine the relevance of his psychoanalytic interpretations of cinema for a critique of ideology. Žižek is known for using examples from films as tools of exegesis for an interpretation of Lacanian psychoanalysis. However, I argue that while this is true for some of his writing on film, Žižek also practices a psychoanalytic interpretation of cinema that reveals something about the function of ideology. Referring to Žižek, I also argue against early film theorists who thought it possible to interpellate political subjectivities through alternative or avant-garde cinema. In contrast, I argue that the work itself in not powerful enough to interpellate political subjectivity. It is, rather, the interpretation that politicizes the work. I claim that films do not create subject-positions, as early film theorists argued; rather, they reproduce the already existing subject-positions of the spectators by reproducing pleasure or desire. However, without rejecting the efforts of early film theory, I conclude, against Bordwell and other post-Theorists, that Theory is still important in film studies, particularly in the area of political critique, and that Žižek's work is exemplary of the kind of political criticism needed in film studies.

Between The Symbolic And The Sublime : Slavoj Žižek In Film Studies ... And Out

The following dissertation examines film theory' s contribution to the Marxian theory of ideology. I argue that while early film theorists sought to develop a theory of film, film theory better serves the study and critique of ideology. I claim that the study of film and spectatorship can add to knowledge of ideology and subjectivity. To this end, I examine the relevance of the Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst, Slavoj Žižek, for contemporary film studies. I locate Žižek's place within film studies through a debate between himself and the prominent American film scholar, David Bordwell. Bordwell is well known for his advocacy of cognitive and middle-level research in film studies, and for his criticism of film theory (or, 'Theory'). He is one of the leaders of a movement in film studies known as post-Theory. I take up the debate between Žižek and Bordwell, and argue that the post-Theory rejection of Theory is an ideological effect of the class struggle. After carving out a place for Žižek in film studies, I examine the relevance of his psychoanalytic interpretations of cinema for a critique of ideology. Žižek is known for using examples from films as tools of exegesis for an interpretation of Lacanian psychoanalysis. However, I argue that while this is true for some of his writing on film, Žižek also practices a psychoanalytic interpretation of cinema that reveals something about the function of ideology. Referring to Žižek, I also argue against early film theorists who thought it possible to interpellate political subjectivities through alternative or avant-garde cinema. In contrast, I argue that the work itself in not powerful enough to interpellate political subjectivity. It is, rather, the interpretation that politicizes the work. I claim that films do not create subject-positions, as early film theorists argued; rather, they reproduce the already existing subject-positions of the spectators by reproducing pleasure or desire. However, without rejecting the efforts of early film theory, I conclude, against Bordwell and other post-Theorists, that Theory is still important in film studies, particularly in the area of political critique, and that Žižek's work is exemplary of the kind of political criticism needed in film studies.

The Menace of Insecurity by Herdsmen Attack and its Implication on Tourism in Southwest Nigeria

The objective of this research is to assess the effects of herdsmen menace on tourism. Secondary data about insecurity caused by herdsmen attack were collected from news media using Google search and were subjected to descriptive statistics. The classical theory of structural functionalism and Marxian theory of historical materialism were used to explain and predict the implications of herdsmen attack on tourism. Findings of the study identified farmland destruction, attack on villages, murder of victims, kidnap and clash with farmers, injuries, rape, stealing of farm produce, robbery, and terrorism as menaces perpetrated by the herdsmen. The dysfunctional part of Nigerian societal structure which the theories used in this study identified that the contradiction between Nigerian economy and social control which was unstable leads to insurgency, and could affect the participation of Nigerian citizens and foreigners in tourism. Safety and security concerns for international and local travelers occasioned by terrorist attacks on highways in southwest Nigeria could make tourism destinations and businesses suffer from low patronage. Due to issues of insecurities along highways in southwest Nigeria, the future of family tourism, agri-tourism and rural tourism could be affected in capturing heterogeneity and mobility of the family market.

Capital Accumulation and Capital-Labor Relations: A Critique of the Social Structure of Accumulation Theory

The social structure of accumulation (SSA) theory seeks to bridge the gap between highly abstract Marxian categories and concrete history in the analysis of institutional structures of capitalist society. More specifically, the theory focuses on the temporal transformation and national specificity of capital–labor relations. However, SSA theory cannot adequately explain why these relations take specific forms in time and space. In general, the theory fails to reconcile the concrete and the abstract, falling back on unmediated historical explanations. These explanatory limitations derive from an empiricist methodology, which can be examined through the lens of Juan Iñigo Carrera's development of Marxian theory. Iñigo Carrera additionally offers an alternative approach to the historical transformation of capital–labor relations and their national specificities. This explanation derives from Marx's analysis of the transformation of the materiality of the capitalist labor process, and explains concrete phenomena through the further development of abstract categories.

Digitaler Kapitalismus?

Marxian theory plays an essential role in the debate on ‘digital capitalism’. While the majority of approaches merely adapt individual theorems and concepts, in this book, the Marxian theory of value is applied in its entirety to the phenomena of digitalisation in value creation. In particular, the central connection between Marxian value and money theory is retained. With recourse to the new reception of Marx which began in the mid-1960s, the so-called Neue Marx-Lektüre, the book clearly distinguishes itself from Marxist orthodoxy and, despite the systematic coherence of that doctrine’s argumentation, reveals the necessity of additions, for example from post-Marxist theories. The author's research focuses on political ideas, theories and ideologies.

Artefacts as Signs, Signs as Artefacts

The category of “artefact” has been analyzed by different semiotic theories and methods. Starting from the Marxian theory of the dialectical relation between production and use (or consumption), Ferruccio Rossi-Landi (1921–1985) maintained the possibility of considering every “artefact” – or use-value – as a crossroads between material and linguistic production, i.e., as a crossroads between labor and language. This paper proposes a comparison – and a dialogue – between Rossi-Landi’s materialistic sign-theory and other semiotic approaches. From such a perspective, the concept of “artefact” could be considered as an analytical starting point for the study of further social and economic meaning-making processes.

The political economy of state regulation: the case of the British Factory Acts

This paper examines the British Factory Acts (enacted 1833–78) to articulate a political economic theory of policy formation. It argues that the British Factory Acts stabilised conditions for both capital accumulation and social reproduction, while perpetuating patriarchal–capitalist relations. Through these Acts, the state intervened in industrial relations to address social coordination problems and overexploitation caused by the incentive structure of firms and households. Overexploitation posed three threats to social reproduction: the deterioration of the health of the working class, the destabilisation of gender norms and patriarchal structures and political mobilisation of the working and middle classes. By conceptualising protective policy as the solution to social coordination problems in the industrial capitalist labour market, this paper builds upon Polanyian insights into the ‘double movement’, with an explicit Marxian theory of exploitation, the classical theory of competition and insights from feminist theories of social reproduction, unwaged labour and the patriarchal–capitalist system.

The Spiralling Economy: Connecting Marxian Theory with Ecological Economics

The capitalist mode of production and consumption is caught in a double bind: its expansion destabilises natural systems and fails to curb social inequities, while slowdown destabilises the inner workings of the economic system itself. To better understand what is happening in this phase of instability, this article proposes a System Dynamics representation that combines elements of Georgescu-Roegen's Ecological Economics with Marxian theory. Specifically, it draws from a diagram recently developed by David Harvey to communicate Marx's political economy in its totality; Harvey's diagram is then adapted to incorporate the flow-fund model developed by Georgescu-Roegen. The contribution made by this adaptation is twofold: first, it allows us to emphasise key connections and discrepancies between the two traditions; second, it extends System Dynamics into (eco-)Marxian analysis, which serves to visualise the fundamental causes and consequences of a spiralling, ever-expanding capitalist economy.