The Meaning of ‘So-Called Primitive Accumulation

Ian Angus

In part 8 of Capital, titled “So-Called Primitive Accumulation,” Karl Marx describes the brutal processes that separated working people from the means of subsistence and concentrated wealth in the hands of landlords and capitalists. It is one of the most dramatic and readable parts of the book.

It is also a continuing source of confusion and debate. Literally hundreds of articles have tried to explain what “primitive accumulation” really meant. Did it occur only in the distant past, or does it continue today? Was “primitive” a mistranslation? Should the name be changed? What exactly was “Marx’s theory of primitive accumulation”?

Here, I argue that Marx thought “primitive accumulation” was a misleading and erroneous concept. Understanding what he actually wrote shines light on two essential Marxist concepts: exploitation and expropriation.

I.A.


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