Braudel on the terms "Capitalist" and "Capitalism" (Was: Frank queries)

Curtiss Leung bofftagstumper at yahoo.com
Sat Mar 11 08:42:10 PST 2000


Apologies for quote mongering, but stick with this, because there's a real kick in the head at the end.

Fernand Braudel writes of the word "Capitalist" in _Wheels of Commerce_: <quote> "The word _capitalist_ probably dates from mid-seventeeth century. The _Hollandische Mercurius_ uses it once in 1633, and again in 1654. In 1699, a French memorandum notes that a new tax levied by the States-General of the United Provinces distinguishes between 'capitalist', who will pay 3 florins, and other people who will pay 30 sols. So the word had already been in use for some time before Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote to one of his friends in 1759: 'I am not a great lord nor a capitalist; I am poor and happy.' But the word only appears as an adjective in the _Encyclopedie_. The noun did have many competitors, it is true. There were plenty of ways to describe the rich: men of means, millionaires, _nouveax riches_, moneybags, _fortunes_ (a word disliked by purists), etc." </quote>

Braudel goes on to write of "Capitalism", which he calls "the most exciting" of the trinity of Capital, Captialist, and Capitalism:

<quote> "According to Dauzat, it is to be found in the _Encyclopedie_ in 1753, but with a very particular mean: 'The state of someone who is rich'. Unfortunately, this statement seems to be inaccurate; the text quoted cannot be traced. In 1842, the word occurs in the _Enrichissements de la langue francaise_ by J.B Richard. But it was probably Louis Blanc, in his poemic with Bastiat, who gave it its new meaning when in 1850 he wrote: '...What I call "capitalism" [and he used quotation marks] that is to say the appropriation of capital by some to the exclusion of others.' But the word still occurred only rarely. Proudhon occasionally uses it, correctly: 'Land is still the fortress of capitalism', he writes -- and indeed this was one of his major theses. And he defines it very well: 'Economic and social regime in which capital, the source of income, does not generally belong to those who make it work through their labour.'" </quote>

Still with me? Then take a deep, deep breath and get ready for the kick in the head: <quote> "Six years later however, in 1867 the word was still unknown to Marx." </quote>

Couldn't believe it myself. Got out the Ben Fowkes translation of _Capital_, v1 and checked the index: sure enough, the term used is "Capitalist mode of production." Checked v2, translated by David Fernbach: same thing. Braudel makes the sweeping claim: "This word which Marx never used was incorporated into the Marxist model."

-- Curtiss

(An irrelevant aside: this makes me wonder about about those nice Cultural Studies people -- Simon Sadler, Stewart Home -- who use the word "situationism" when the Situationists themselves said there was no such thing...)

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