Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy Reading Group

The launch of a new group reading "A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy" by Karl Marx, published in 1859. Fortnightly meetings starting on 28 February at 7 pm - the next meeting is on 14 March at 7 pm for which we are reading "Chapter 1 - The Commodity" (upto and including Note a)). This is the work which later evolved into Part I of the first volume of Capital and Marx's method of analysis and synthesis, as well as his excitement at finally getting out of his study, is perhaps more evident here, only two years after the Grundrisse, than in Capital another 8 years later (and older). It makes a perfect Introduction to the first volume of Capital in many ways, dealing as it does with the forms in which capital appears - commodities and money.

Why the CCPE?

• It is short by Marx's standards - we envisage completing the text in 6 fortnightly sessions spread over a couple of months.This should encourage those who might find all three or even one volume of Capital a daunting prospect.
• It is one of the few things Marx managed to publish during his lifetime.
• It also occupies a strategically important location in Marx's journey from the Grundrisse (1857) to Capital (1867).
• Those looking for more challenging reading can still attempt to get to grips with the core of Marx's theory of value and money which is covered in these pages.

For further info and to express interest, please visit the google group at

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/london-marx-reading-group

and the website at

http://www.readingmarx.net

There is also a Facebook group at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/londonmarxreaders