Capitalism Contradictions

[Servia]

What are the contradictions within capitalism that will ultimately cause its own fall? And why is socialism the inevitable system to come forth?

[Tim Cornelis]

No contradictions will lead to capitalism's own fall and socialism is not inevitable. Contradictions are not impossibilities as would be implied using the dictionary definition, it's a somewhat obscure Hegelian term for internal tensions. Tensions can be coped with pretty much indefinitely -- although unlikely. These internal tensions* result in conflict, and if the conflicts are fought out in favour of the proletariat, then communism is the is the next stage of human society because the socialised character of production will be granted the freedom to work itself out. If we remember that market exchange exists to link the cooperative labours of hundreds of thousands of private producers so that they become social, although indirectly social, then it follows that if society assumes control over production, the social character of labour will not be in need of indirect expression (i.e. commodity exchange) but will be directly social. Therefore commodity exchange (including money) will disappear. Classes will evidently disappear, and the state will no longer be necessary.

edit:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=1364&pictureid=11840

edit II:

*the primary contradiction of capitalism is socialised production and private appropriation of wealth

[Comrade Jacob]

If there was an infinite amount of time then socialism will eventually come but it's looking more likely we will destroy ourselves before it can happen natural.


"Revolution unlike an apple doesn't fall when it is ripe, you've got to make it fall". - Che

[tuwix]

What are the contradictions within capitalism that will ultimately cause its own fall?


There are many of them but it's unknown which one will cause its fall.
Examples:
1. Capitalism requires an unlimited growth but resources are limited.
2. Capitalism must expand indefinitely but an areas of expansion i definite: Earth.
3. Capitalism creates everything for profit, but social peace needs unprofitable activities.
4. Capitalism promises jobs, but it cuts them more an more.
etc.



And why is socialism the inevitable system to come forth?

Capitalism is a threat for human existence. It will be destroyed or it will make a planet inhabitable. Besides due to automation in future money will become obsolete as private property. When the machine will make almost 95% of work, then money and private property are just obsolete.

[Antiochus]

Socialism is not inevitable and even given an "infinite" amount of time, it could very well never become realized. Had the Greek steam engine been commercialized rather than simply remain in the intellectual circles, it could very well have allowed for a leap to Capitalism in the ancient world. But this is totally predicated upon many factors, none of which are "inevitable". It could very well be that Capitalists destroy humanity with nuclear weapons and biological warfare before socialism comes about.

[Alet]

Had the Greek steam engine been commercialized rather than simply remain in the intellectual circles, it could very well have allowed for a leap to Capitalism in the ancient world.

I think the Greek steam engine rather shows that ancient society was not "ready" for capitalism, or am I wrong?

[swims with the fishes]

the greek 'steam engine' was a toy. the ancient greeks did no have the metallurgy among other things to make it into something which could create enough power for it to be economically useful.

[WideAwake]

Antiochus: You are right, and I think that one of the main causes of why there are no worker's governments, dictatorships of the proletariat (the socialist phase between the end of capitalism and the beginning of anarchist communism) in all countries of the world, is the excess of passive-nihilism and conformism in the great majority of poor people of the world, along with very low levels of knowledge, very low reading skills, low writing skills and low levels of communication skills (if people do not have good communication abilities, they won't be able to communiate, to expose, to dig out of the hearts and souls, their pains, sadness, needs and personal problems. Along with many other problems like the divided left in all countries of the world. In all countries of the world the left is divided because of the group-narcissism nature of societies.

There is not a good powerful representative marxist radical left in this world because the marxist left is too economically weak, compared with the social-democratic left which is a lot wealthier.

Another problem I see is that with the excess of technology, excess of easy available pleasures like movies on Netflix, computer games, video games, smart phones, etc. the young generation which is supposed to be revolutionary and anti-conformism seems to me too conformist. So I think that this world is due for another mental philosophical revolution like a second enlightenment period, so that poor people get out of the fake virtual world in which most poor people live, into the real-world, so that they are more aware about the fact that if they don't destroy capitalism and replace it with worker's socialist states, their own children and children's children are gonna see a hell of a life on earth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment



Socialism is not inevitable and even given an "infinite" amount of time, it could very well never become realized. Had the Greek steam engine been commercialized rather than simply remain in the intellectual circles, it could very well have allowed for a leap to Capitalism in the ancient world. But this is totally predicated upon many factors, none of which are "inevitable". It could very well be that Capitalists destroy humanity with nuclear weapons and biological warfare before socialism comes about.

[code_red]

Sustainability. Capitalism is inherently unsustainable. Capitalism requires unlimited growth in order to succeed which is not possible. Theres only a certain amount of trees you can chop, coal you can mine and tat you can make before something runs out. Not to mention the unsustainable division of wealth which will eventually cause society to revolt. So basically, its unsustainable by nature.

[Tim Cornelis]

Trees can be replanted, coal has substitutes. I think with the same vague argument you could argue that communism is impossible, as there'd be too few resources to eliminate poverty or whatever.

[ckaihatsu]

Those doing the actual work of social production, and who have the most direct experience with the process, are not allowed to also *direct* that production (collectively).

[Luís Henrique]

What are the contradictions within capitalism that will ultimately cause its own fall? And why is socialism the inevitable system to come forth?

Most basic would be,


the drive for more profits causes capitalists to rise the productivity of labour,

but the increase of labour productivity causes the average profit rate to fall.


Also,


capitalists want to pay the lower possible wages to their employees,

but capitalists need workers in general to earn the highest possible wage in order to buy their products.


There surely are many others, but those two imply that the expansion of the production of value undermines the premises for the production of value.

Luís Henrique