Which should I begin with: Grundrisse or Capital Vol1?

[UltraWright]

If I am interested in learning about Marxism from Marx's own writings, which book should I start with: Grundrisse or the first volume of Capital?

[Tommy4ever]

I'm reading the Marx-Engels Reader (a collection of shorter texts by the men themselves) right now, so I'd suggest reading that. :p

I'd suggest Capital Volume 1 - if you're up for a challenge. Don't read it fast, I read one chapter a day for about 2 or 3 weeks before I started reading it more quickly. At the start it is very dense, seems to repeat itself and is at times confusing. But when you get further it you will become engrossed (atleast I did :blushing:).

Never read the Grundrisse though.

[∞]

I read this pretty cool book.

Marx and Marxism by Iring Fisher.

[28350]

grundrisse, as it is the "groundwork" for capital

[Rooster]

If you only had the choice of one of the two then you really should read Capital Vol 1 first. It's more fleshed out and it was also the only volume of Capital that Marx saw the release off. The Grundrisse wasn't intended for general release so it's kinda hard to follow at times as it's just notes mostly.

[ZeroNowhere]

grundrisse, as it is the "groundwork" for capitalI'm not sure that being an earlier, unpublished draft by itself makes something worth reading before the published text prepared for public reading.

[28350]

I'm not sure that being an earlier, unpublished draft by itself makes something worth reading before the published text prepared for public reading.

Well, if one looks at structure alone, it can help with understanding Marx's exposition in Capital. But yes, it certainly is not 'Capital Lite'

edit: I read Capital I first. When I read Grundrisse, I got through it much easier, but maybe that's because I had already read the former.

[A Marxist Historian]

If I am interested in learning about Marxism from Marx's own writings, which book should I start with: Grundrisse or the first volume of Capital?

Definitely Vol. 1. It was published, the Grundrisse never was. There's a reason for that. Vol's 1, 2 and 3 have the final version of Marx's economic theories, not the preliminary unpublished first draft.

Especially now with money on everyone's minds, you might do well to read Marx's prequel, "Critique of Political Economy," first.

In a pinch, Vol. 2 can be skipped, but Vol. 3 is just as important as Vol. 1 in its own way.

Vol. 4 is his critique of other economists. Very worth reading if you are familiar with Adam Smith and Ricardo etc., otherwise I'd skip it. At any rate, at least read Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" first.

-M.H.-

[Rusty Shackleford]

if you havent already, i would suggest some lighter works first.

Communist Manifesto (http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm)
Wage-Labour and Capital (http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm)
Principles of Communism (http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm)
Socialism: Utopian & Scientific (http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/index.htm)

ive tried reading Capital vol. 1 3 times now and never got farther than 4 chapters in. Its just so rich in information.

[Teacher]

David Harvey has a book called A Companion to Marx's Capital which you can read along with volume 1 and really helps make sense of a lot of things (although Harvey often interjects a lot of his own thoughts)

[S.Artesian]

If I am interested in learning about Marxism from Marx's own writings, which book should I start with: Grundrisse or the first volume of Capital?

Neither. Start with A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, which in many respects is Marx's own "mediation" from the Grundrisse to Capital

[graymouser]

The people recommending you start with Contribution to the Critique are right. The chapters on money in volume 1 of Capital make much more sense when you have read it first, and since they're some of the more difficult chapters, it's the best starting point.

Here's a hint about volume 1. Except for chapters 10 and 15 (these are basically studies of capitalism in England and by far the longest in the book), reading a chapter twice pays dividends. Marx's work was dialectical in format, which means that each chapter builds off of ideas in the last - so it's important that you understand each concept before moving on to the next.

[Hit The North]

Neither. Start with A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, which in many respects is Marx's own "mediation" from the Grundrisse to Capital

Engels also furnishes a review of ACCPE which, to my mind, is one of the clearest expositions of Marx's dialectic method on offer anywhere. Well worth a read in order to clarify exactly what Marx was up to in his economic writings. And it is short!

Review by Frederick Engels
(http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1859/critique-pol-economy/appx2.htm)

[chegitz guevara]

If you need to ask, you should probably read something else first.

Try Wage-Labour and Capital and Value, Price, and Profits first. They are far more accessible. Then go to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, then Capital.

Don't bother with Grundrisse unless you're trying to be a Marxist economist.