KARL MARX

PREFACE AND
INTRODUCTION
TO
A CONTRIBUTION
TO THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY


FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS
PEKING 1976

First Edition 1976



Prepared © for the Internet by David J. Romagnolo, [email protected] (June 1997)

    This booklet contains Marx's Preface and Introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, and Engels' two articles on that work by Marx. The Introduction, actually an unfinished rough draft, is taken from Marx's economic manuscripts of 18576-58.
    The translations of Marx's Preface and Engels' articles largely follow those on Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Selected Works, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow, 1951, Vol. I, while the translation of Marx's Introduction is to some extent based on that in the appendix to Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1970. However, in comparing these translations with the original German in Marx and Engels Werk, Dietz Verlag, Berlin, 1961, Vol. 13, it was found necessary to make numerous corrections and revisions of the Moscow English version of the Introduction.
    The notes at the end of the book are largely adopted from those in the German edition, with some modifications, excisions and additions.



C O N T E N T S


PREFACE TO A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF
  POLITICAL ECONOMY


1

INTRODUCTION TO A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF
  POLITICAL ECONOMY
(From the economic manuscripts of 1857-58 )


8

  I.
 

Production, Consumption, Distribution, Exchange (Circulation)


8


1.

Production

8


2.
 

General Relation of Production to Distribution, Exchange and Consumption


15



a)
b)
c)

[Production and Consumption ]
[Production and Distribution ]
Finally, Exchange and Circulation

17
23
29


3.

The Method of Political Economy

30


4.
 
 
 

Production. Means of Production and Relations of Production. Relations of Production and Relations of Circulation. Forms of the State and Forms of Consciousness in Realtion to Relations of Production and Circulation. Legal Relations. Family Relations




41

APPENDIX

KARL MARX, A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CRITIQUE OF
  POLITICAL ECONOMY by Frederick Engels


46

I
II

46
51

NOTES

60






From Marx
to Mao

Marx and Engels
Collection

Reading
Guide

Notes on
the Text
Below




From Marx
to Mao

Marx and Engels
Collection

Reading
Guide