The synthesis of the work done by both men is, I find, a comprehensive image of the entire breadth of the original first volume of Capital.Ĭafiero, now all but forgotten in English leftist circles, is worthy of further study by those of us in the modern age. This way, I ensured that Marx’s original words would be as accurate as possible. When it came to the citations Cafiero included from Marx’s Capital, instead of translating into English his Italian translations of the French translations of the original German text, which I figured would be far too contrived, I opted to cite the 1887 English translation, directly from the German, by Samuel Moore and Edward Averling (and notably edited by Friedrich Engels). Cafiero’s dynamic and impassioned prose is sure to inspire a similar feeling in the hearts of readers, and his inclusion of large portions of Marx’s original volume can also better acquaint modern readers with the masterful writing and research skills embodied in Marx.įor the translation of this work, I tried as best as possible to render Cafiero’s writing as easy to comprehend in English while still maintaining the intentions and structure from the original Italian publication. Not only is it an easily digestible length, but it fully encapsulates the major points of Marx’s analysis of production, accumulation of capital, and the exploitation of labor. However, this summary, while not a substitute, is undoubtedly an adequate primer. Given the length of Capital, Volume 1, those without the adequate time or skill set may be put off in reading it in its entirety. My ultimate hope is that this work will further Cafiero’s original goal in writing this book: to develop class consciousness and the knowledge of basic Marxian economics among workers, activists, and students. It’s with great pride and anticipation that I present this first complete English translation of Carlo Cafiero’s summary of Karl Marx’s Capital. The Correspondence between Cafiero & Marx Commodities, Currency, Wealth and Capital

Original Introduction to the Italian Online Publication.

Compendio al Capitale by Carlo Cafiero