What is the best way to read Marxist texts?

[Blanquist]

For example capital, I have had a problem reading it because I am not intellectually capable of understanding it, I flipped through it and there are so many facts and figures and obscure references that I can't do it.

I would need to build my way up to capital.

I'm interested in understanding Marxian economy, I'd like to become an expert on it.

Here are the texts I feel I should read

*Capital
* Accumulation of capital
* Finance capital
* Imperialism highest stage

I know some would suggest I listen to dave harvey lectures but I read that he is a liar and not the best source. I'm afraid he will pollute my mind with wrong theories and understandings. Ditto for bourgeois 'experts' and fake-left charlatans.

What is the best way to approach this subject? I some-what understand economics in that I follow financial news and used to have an investment portfolio, I also understand some basic's of Marxist economic theory but only in a limited and rough form.

I want to read Capital but I am not ready. I usually approach tough subjects like this from the sides and work my way up, or down.

Thanks.

[Railyon]

I know some would suggest I listen to dave harvey lectures but I read that he is a liar and not the best source. I'm afraid he will pollute my mind with wrong theories and understandings. Ditto for bourgeois 'experts' and fake-left charlatans.

lol! David Harvey's intro to Capital is among the best out there, and he leaves his own political views at the wardrobe. Meaning that he won't talk any bullshit politics.

Pretty much the only flaw that is pointed out in these lectures is his graphic depiction of Value, but that is a pretty minor point IMO.

Other than that it's pretty cool but on the last few lessons he tends to ramble a bit.

Also lol at "polluting your mind", there are as many interpretations of Capital as there are readers... his lecture actually stays pretty neutral compared to other intros to Capital, like Cleaver's.




For example capital, I have had a problem reading it because I am not intellectually capable of understanding it, I flipped through it and there are so many facts and figures and obscure references that I can't do it.
Capital gets easier after chapter 3. Actually I find it gets easier the more you progress. And you basically need to read the first three chapters again after reading the rest of Capital before you can actually understand their importance, so I wouldn't worry about it. Volumes 2 and 3 are heavier and sluggish to read though...



Here are the texts I feel I should read

*Capital
* Accumulation of capital
* Finance capital
* Imperialism highest stage

These all kinda necessitate you read the whole of Capital. Like, all three volumes. Imperialism maybe not but I find to be largely obsolete because it juggles numbers and figures from a hundred years ago, of which about 80% of the book consists. Ergo, an economical study that may be interesting to read but nowhere near essential.

[Bronco]

Read Wage Labour and Capital and Value, Price and Profit if you haven't already, they touch on a lot of what you'll read in Capital but are a lot shorter and easier to understand. Try and get a solid understanding of the more basic Marxist texts before going to the more advanced stuff

[aty]

This blog by Brendan Cooney gives some basic understandings if you look at the series at the right side, it also includes some videos that can make it easier to understand than just reading plain text: http://kapitalism101.wordpress.com/

Start here: http://kapitalism101.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/law-of-value-introduction/

[Rooster]

First, read Luxemburg's What is Economics? and then read Wage-Labour and Capital. From there, read the first three chapters of Capital with David Harvey. Then read Value, Price and Profit. Then read Capital again from the start. Forget Lenin's Imperialism. It's largely obsolete and just exposes what we all already know about finance capital, the sort of stuff that's already in the liberal media about banking etc. For a more modern take, read some of Harvey's work. You don't have to read all of the footnotes in Capital and you don't have to really follow the figures that much.

[Anarcho-Brocialist]

Marx's Das Kapital For Beginners - Michael Wayne.

Also, write notes down, and stop after every 3 or 4 pages and recap what you've just read. Then reference back to your notes, then provide yourself an example. For instance. If I am a owner of a Cola factory. I spend 5 cents for a cola can, 5 cents for the ingredients, the labor put into one can of cola is 10 cents, shipping / packaging is 5 cents per can and the overhead for that can is 1 cent that's a total of 26 cents. I sell that can of cola to a retailer for 56 cents, I've accumulated 30 cents surplus-value for one can of cola. You can also see the exchange-value in there as well, since the labor and raw materials were paid for by me, I need to sell it at a cost where the overhead and all finances are covered.

I could then go into what the aim of production is for. In today's society it's aims are to make profit (as you've seen in my explanation before), and not to conform to the needs of society, because if the owner doesn't make money the factory is closed.