Marxism Reading Group: Late Capitalism

Some commentators have taken shifts in the global economy to mean we are in a post-capitalist age. For many people, transformations in production, finance, and management signal an entirely new model of economic life. However, Marxists have challenged these assumptions. They have explored the ways that capitalism has evolved even while maintaining basic tendencies toward inequality and exploitation.

Over the course of two meetings, we will discuss two of the most influential theories of contemporary or “late” capitalism. We will begin with Harry Braverman’s influential Labor and Monopoly Capital, which explores changes in work, management, and ownership during the twentieth century.

Reading:

• Braverman, Labor And Monopoly Capital (excerpts)

About the Series

The Philly Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Marxism Reading Group meets via Zoom on alternating Wednesdays to discuss issues in socialist theory and strategy. 

Each meeting, we’ll look at a specific topic, including theories of the State, gender, imperialism,hegemony, and the origin of capitalism itself. Along the way, we’ll read some of the most influential Marxist theorists, including Angela Davis, Louis Althusser, Ellen Meiksins Wood, CLR James, and Rosa Luxemburg.