Elements of Original Accumulation:
Dispossession, War, and Slavery in the
History of Capitalism
Dispossession, war, and slavery in the history of capitalism
In this lecture Pepijn Brandon, professor of Global Economic and Social History, examines the role of large-scale violence in the history of capitalism. Dispossession, war, and slavery have often functioned as kick-starters for capitalist development. Karl Marx famously dubbed this process “original” or “primitive accumulation”.
Many have drawn the conclusion that large scale violence is merely a historical precedent of “real” capitalism, which operates through non-violent markets and competition. With violent catastrophes all around us, Brandon explains why “original accumulation” is not just the starting point, but also the result of capitalist development.