Class 13: Capital Chapters 14-16: Absolute and Relative Surplus-Value

The lecture provides a rigorous and insightful analysis of Marx’s Capital, chapters 14-16, focusing on the concepts of absolute and relative surplus-value and the process of subsumption. Paul North demonstrates a deep understanding of the text and its philosophical underpinnings, drawing on Hegelian terminology and the history of philosophy. The argument is well-structured, moving from the abstract definition of labor to the concrete mechanisms of capitalist production. North effectively explains how labor is subsumed under capital, transitioning from external coercion to internal self-motivation, and how this process is central to understanding the capitalist system. The lecture is grounded in the primary text, with references to specific chapters and concepts, and North also brings in relevant secondary literature, such as Alfred Sohn-Rethel’s ‘Mental and Manual Labour.’ The quality of the information is high, and the lecture is suitable for an academic audience. However, it is an interpretive lecture rather than a peer-reviewed study, and some claims are presented without extensive evidence. The lecture’s strength lies in its clarity and depth of analysis, making it a valuable resource for students and scholars of Marx. The title accurately reflects the content, and the lecture stays focused on the assigned chapters. Overall, this is a high-quality lecture that offers a thorough examination of Marx’s ideas, though it may be challenging for those unfamiliar with the text.

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on chapters 14-16 of Capital, discussing absolute and relative surplus-value.

8/10

Lecture by a Yale professor, based on a critical edition of Marx's Capital, with references to primary text and scholarly works. The argument is well-structured and grounded in the text, though it is an interpretive lecture rather than peer-reviewed research.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction to the lecture and the concept of subsumption.
• 02:00Discussion of the three stages of subsumption: coercion, process, and self-motivation.
• 05:00Explanation of how capital became a 'mono God' through the process of subsumption.
• 10:00Reading and analysis of the opening of Chapter 14 on absolute and relative surplus-value.
• 15:00Discussion of the separation of mental and manual labor and its role in capitalism.
• 20:00Explanation of the expansion of the concept of productive labor under capitalism.
• 25:00Discussion of the three types of subsumption: nature, labor as process, and humans into labor.
• 30:00Further analysis of the valorization process and the subsumption of laborers.
• 35:00Conclusion and summary of key points from the lecture.

• Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1 (Princeton University Press) — The new English translation and critical edition of Marx's Capital, co-edited by Paul North.
• Course Playlist — Link to other videos in the course.

• Marx's Capital Volume 1 — General overview of the book and its concepts, consistent with the lecture's interpretation.