Class 9: Capital Chapters 10-13: Relative Surplus-Value, Division of Labor, Machinery, part 1

The lecture provides a thorough and insightful analysis of Marx’s Capital, chapters 10-13, with a focus on the historical and theoretical aspects of the working day and relative surplus-value. North’s expertise as a co-editor of a new translation of Capital lends credibility to his interpretation. He effectively uses historical examples to illustrate Marx’s arguments, such as the plague’s impact on labor and the evolution of factory legislation. The discussion of the tragic comedy of factory acts is particularly compelling, showing how limits on working hours led to intensified exploitation. However, the lecture is primarily a commentary rather than a critical evaluation, and it assumes a certain familiarity with Marx’s terminology. The argumentation is solid, but it could benefit from more engagement with alternative interpretations or criticisms of Marx’s theory. The sources cited are limited to the course materials and the Princeton edition of Capital, which are appropriate but not extensive. Overall, the lecture is rigorous and valuable for students of political economy, though it may not offer new insights for those already familiar with Marx’s work.

The title accurately reflects the content, which covers chapters 10-13 of Capital, focusing on relative surplus-value, division of labor, and machinery.

8/10

Lecture by a Yale professor, based on a critical edition of Marx's Capital, with historical references and theoretical analysis. The content is scholarly and well-structured, though it is an interpretation rather than original research.

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

• 00:00Introduction to the lecture and recap of previous discussion on the working day.
• 02:00Discussion of the historical extension of the working day, including laws from the 14th century.
• 05:00Explanation of expropriation and extortion as mechanisms to force labor.
• 10:00Analysis of the Factory Act of 1833 and its unintended consequences.
• 15:00Introduction of the concept of relative surplus-value and its distinction from absolute surplus-value.
• 20:00Discussion of the division of labor and machinery as means to increase exploitation.
• 25:00Q&A session on the relay system and its effects on child labor.

• Capital, Volume 1 (Princeton University Press) — The critical edition of Marx's Capital used in the course.
• Course playlist on YouTube — Other lectures in the same course.

• Marx's Capital (Wikipedia) — General overview of the book and its arguments.