Marxist Perspectives on Imperialism: A Theoretical Analysis

199 Pages·1991·54.694 MB·English

by  Chronis Polychroniou

MARXIST PERSPECTIVES
O N
IMPERIALISM
A Theoretical Analysis
Chronis Polychroniou
New York
Westport. Connecticut
London
Univ. Library, UC Santa Cruz 1991
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication.Data
Polychroniou, Chronis.
Marxist pe,spcctives on : a tbeoreticaJ analysis /
i■■aperialism
Chronis Polychroniou.
p. cm.
me~.
Includes bibliographical refermces wl
ISBN 0-275-93720-8
1. Marxian economics. 2. Depeadency. 3. Imperialism.
4. Capitalism. I. Title.
HB97.5.P793 1991
335.4'1-dc20 90-45483
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1991 by Chronis Polychrooiou
All rights reserved. No p01tion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, witbotJt the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card N rnber: 90-45483
11
ISBN: 0-275-93720-8
First published in 1991
Praeger Publishers, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
@)-
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organimtion (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
fl B
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P?13
I i (l /
ialat
Ackuowle.ta,•aents
Copy►
1be author end publisher are grateful to the followin1 for allowing the se of
11
excerpts from:
Amin, Samir. Unequal Development: An Essay on the Social Fmnaulatlon of
Peripheral Capitalism. Copyright © 1976 by Monlhly Review Presa. Re
printed by per auission of Mmtbly Review Foundation.
Amin, Samir. Unequal Development: An Essay on 1M Social Fo,1,aulatlon of
Paipheral Capitalism. Paris, Fraoa,· Editions de minuit, 1976.
Amin, Samir~ Accllnullatlon.r on a 'Hbrld Scak. 2 vols. Copyright© 1974 by
Monthly Review Pre Reprinted by per of Monthly Review Founda
llu •Oissillll
tion.
Ao•io, Samir. kc,unulatlons on a 'Phrld Scale. 2 vols. England, Harvest
Wheatsbeaf, 1974.
»au.
Arghiri, Rrnm•nuel. Unequal Exchange: A Study oft he lmperlallsm of
Copyright © 1972 by Monthly Review Presa. Reprinted by pea ,oissi.on of
Monthly Review Foundation.
Arghiri, Fmrn•nuel. Unequal Exchange: A Study oft he Imperialism of»'atk.
Paris, France: Editions la dkouverte, 1972.
Baran, Paul. 'IM Political Economy ofG rowth. Copyright © 1957 by Montbly
Review Press. Reprinted by pea of Monthly Review Foundation.
■o/ssion
Blomsttom, Magnus, and Bjorn Hettne. Development Thl!ory in »'ansition.
London: Zed Books, 1984.
Hilferding, Rudolf. Finance Capital. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981.
Extract taken from Imperialism: A Study by J. A. Hobson, reproduced by kind
pe, ,oissinn of Unwin Hyman Ltd. Copyright © London, George Allen &
Unwin, Ltd. 3rd revised edition 1954.
I aclm, E1«sto. t&Feudalism and Capitalism in Latin America," in Politics
and Ideology in Marxist Thl!ory. London: New Left Books, 1977.
unio, V. I. Mlniperialism: The JUgbeat Stage of Capitalism." In Selected
llblb, vol. 1. New York: International Publishers, 1976.
Marx, Karl. Capital. 3 vols. New York: International Publishers, 1967.
Marx, Karl. A Contribution to the Critique qfP olitical Economy, edited, with
an introduction by Maurice Dobb. New York: International Publishers, 1970.
• Copyright A.cknowkdgments
VI
Marx, Karl, and Frederick Enpls. On Colonialism. New York: Intematiooal
Publiw.rs, 1972.
Marx, Karl, and Frederick Engels. •Manifesto of the Communist Party," in
Colkct«l Mbrh, vol. 6. New York: Intematioo•I Publishers, 1976.
Palloix, Christian. •The Self-E1-pan.~ion of Capital on a World Scale." Review
ofR adical Political Economics 9, no.2 (Summer 1977).
Warren, Bill. •10.perialismand Capitalist lodtJstriali7.ation." New Left Review,
no. 81 (September-October 1973).
1b V,cky

Contents
Figures and 'Jbbles •
XI
Preface •••
Xl11
Introduction 1
1 Marxian Political Economy: Methodological and
Theoretical Foundations
5
Historical Materialism 7
The Analysis of the Capitalist Mode of Production 18
Dynamics and Contradictions in the Accumulation
Process
26
Marx on Imperialism 33
Summary and Conclusion
39
2 Classical Marxist Theories of Imperialism 47
Hobson 48
Hilferding 53
Luxemburg 58
Bukharin
65
72
Lenin
Summary and Conclusion 82
Contents
X
3 Neo-Marxist Interpretations of Imperialism and
Underdevelopment 87
Baran: The Theory of Monopoly Capitalism 88
Baran on Economic BackWclrdness 94
Frank's Theory on Capitalism and
Underdevelopment 104
Wallerstein and the \\brld-Systems Theory 113
Emmanuel: The Theory of Unequal Exchange. 117
Amin: The Theory of Specialii.ation and Unequal
Development 124
Summary and Conclusion 132
4 New Developments and Directions in the Marxist
Theories of Imperialism 139
Warren's Theses 139
The Modes of Production Approach 145
The Theory of the Intemationali7.ation of Capital 150
Summary and Conclusion 153
Conclusion 159
Bibliography 165
Index 177
Figures and Tables
FIGURES
3 .1 Frank's Metropolis-Satellite Model 106
4.1 The Circuit of Social Capital 151
TABI,FS
3.1 Wages and Unequal Exchange 120
4.1 Annual Average Rates of Growth of
Manufacturing for Selected Countries,
1951-1968 141