Tearing asunder the pretty fancies of capitalism: reflections on Marx and Empire

Smith, A. (2022) Tearing asunder the pretty fancies of capitalism: reflections on Marx and Empire. Journal of Classical Sociology, 22(4), pp. 402-409. (doi: 10.1177/1468795X221105723)

Abstract

This chapter argues for a recognition of the nuanced complexity of Marx’s account of empire. In particular, I argue, that account came to be characterised by: (i) a recognition of the historical centrality of anticolonial resistance; (ii) a provincialisation of his own assessment of capitalism’s development in Western Europe; (iii) an understanding of imperialism as a historically regressive force. In seeking to understand the history of European imperialism as a constitutive feature of the modern world we need recourse to a theory of capitalism. In that respect, as generations of writers from the colonised world have demonstrated, Marx’s analysis remains powerfully salient.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Smith, Professor Andrew
• Authors: Smith, A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
• Journal Name: Journal of Classical Sociology
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1468-795X
• ISSN (Online): 1741-2897
• Published Online: 22 June 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Author
• First Published: First published in Journal of Classical Sociology 22(4): 402-409
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence