The Nature Of Capital

The author argues that a synthesis between Marx's social relations of production and Foucault's disciplinary power can be found in a model of the material causes of our capacity to act. The author constructs this model by combining Marx's theory of capital with Foucault's concept of power. The author argues that by placing Foucault's concept of power at the heart of Marx's analysis, they can define the operative logic of production relations at work shaping the condition of postmodernity.

The synthesis of Marx and Foucault has traditionally been seen within the social sciences as deeply problematic. The author overturns this received wisdom by subjecting both thinkers to a re-reading through the lens of the philosophy of critical realism. The result is an illuminating synthesis between Marx's social relations of production and Foucault's disciplinary power from which the author constructs a model of the material causes of our capacity to act. The laws of motion of a society and its microphysics are shown to be complementary parts of a theory of capital, society's genetic code. The text overturns traditional interpretations of Marx, presents an accessible and comprehensive account of the development of his model of capital and demonstrates its ability to explain modern societies. By placing Foucault's concept of power at the heart of Marx's analytic the author demonstrates that Foucault explains the how of power, Marx the why. Together, it is argued, they define the operative logic of production relations at work shaping the condition of postmodernity. This iconoclastic works concludes with a reflection of the relevance of Marx after Foucault to an understanding of t