CINXE.COM
Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><script async="" src="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:es-module-shims@1.10.0/dist/es-module-shims.js"></script><script type="importmap" data-turbo-track="reload">{ "imports": { "application": "/assets/application-fe0fbdd14241aa7361c81722892327189b9083d1a4ea75cdc9ecafbeb59ab819.js", "@hotwired/turbo-rails": "/assets/turbo.min-918a6cf2f2be8ed9555c9a11eee69c7dc2f01770802815576efc931876b327fb.js", "@hotwired/stimulus": "/assets/stimulus.min-dd364f16ec9504dfb72672295637a1c8838773b01c0b441bd41008124c407894.js", "@hotwired/stimulus-loading": "/assets/stimulus-loading-3576ce92b149ad5d6959438c6f291e2426c86df3b874c525b30faad51b0d96b3.js", "stripe": "https://js.stripe.com/v3/", "jquery": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:jquery@3.7.0/dist/jquery.js", "parsleyjs": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:parsleyjs@2.9.2/dist/parsley.js", "dropcap.js": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:dropcap.js@1.0.1/dropcap.js", "foundation-sites": "/assets/foundation-sites-7310dc6470bc992009222f334d26583ebe72bd9d436799b421479467efb1a911.js", "lodash": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:lodash@4.17.21/lodash.js", "select2": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:select2@4.1.0-rc.0/dist/js/select2.js", "sortable": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:sortablejs@1.15.0/modular/sortable.esm.js", "chart.js": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:chart.js@4.2.0/dist/chart.js", "@kurkle/color": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:@kurkle/color@0.3.2/dist/color.esm.js", "chartkick": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:chartkick@5.0.1/dist/chartkick.esm.js", "webfont": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:webfontloader@1.6.28/webfontloader.js", "@rails/actioncable": "/assets/actioncable.esm-06609b0ecaffe2ab952021b9c8df8b6c68f65fc23bee728fc678a2605e1ce132.js", "simplelightbox": "https://ga.jspm.io/npm:simplelightbox@2.14.1/dist/simple-lightbox.modules.js", "controllers/admin/accounts/subscription/gift_controller": "/assets/controllers/admin/accounts/subscription/gift_controller-3b4b56969d106b9d1c0f0a38f1c6e62ffe328938884e87abe4f149c1eaea3a69.js", "controllers/admin/accounts/subscriptions_controller": "/assets/controllers/admin/accounts/subscriptions_controller-fddb19356cbf5d6038876ab9cc36160e174fb780c05aa8b6fd844cea3715cc02.js", "controllers/admin/republication_permissions_form_controller": "/assets/controllers/admin/republication_permissions_form_controller-c0ab8c5c832e86ec72a755454d6207e588a82b7d3878d26018ed603bdfbd1e68.js", "controllers/admin/republication_permissions_index_controller": "/assets/controllers/admin/republication_permissions_index_controller-5a3b869247d534dc542dcba547d077dfc7d3bd0be257d86ee861435d645096b6.js", "controllers/application": "/assets/controllers/application-63f22ce6291b2c336b75954c09c8cd9ea9eb031e3204088e4035fcb63140d74a.js", "controllers/articles_controller": "/assets/controllers/articles_controller-8e47d301bccdc1856f315def5bdcdbaffd283b0f32bf9db5ca41877f37bd4cb2.js", "controllers/autocomplete_controller": "/assets/controllers/autocomplete_controller-90106809a7ea05b8f877cd6db5d24718f0463bbaac1c40a39ebe66e9136a1ad1.js", "controllers/blog/export_controller": "/assets/controllers/blog/export_controller-c3818bd5afb25bf35694bd455933ea3b970766c56a2a49c0cd849f189a8f2135.js", "controllers/blog/posts_controller": "/assets/controllers/blog/posts_controller-67e764b24edbbcb285ac433f914993da1588dd08488b0859d5a191f61eefdb5e.js", "controllers/carousel_controller": "/assets/controllers/carousel_controller-803a8e71bbc3ce81e9b46bf948f5bb8a150e52bee9b45790922136a32ea1e119.js", "controllers/colour_input_controller": "/assets/controllers/colour_input_controller-67cd09eba0db7fa123148ce18db1e7c8bda4315018593e4a1d05b7e216ce83fe.js", "controllers/donations_controller": "/assets/controllers/donations_controller-f10b11d87a3cdfc30735a054be54b1d35f322aa0e4a1f15666a59984ef12901f.js", "controllers/file_input_controller": "/assets/controllers/file_input_controller-43b84ef005287547880f63c97003616d9a8157292508efe8fb6f28a4b1c07857.js", "controllers/foundation_controller": "/assets/controllers/foundation_controller-4c4e844e93411eb0d11c79708cf3b372502775a8063c9dae6c2e0b9e800b33fd.js", "controllers": "/assets/controllers/index-4c24b382dd25b508bb71b6832c879db5d24ad450f8546d87f4860c63610689ac.js", "controllers/lightbox_controller": "/assets/controllers/lightbox_controller-32481e0e4b442415a12a23b9e22555a8fb66eae554b47dd74eb7cdcc11fc4eae.js", "controllers/lookup_controller": "/assets/controllers/lookup_controller-6936a993e2ebf7abec820ddb07c5b01423c561f1a43e4c1f061429d3a4a7c16e.js", "controllers/parsley_controller": "/assets/controllers/parsley_controller-ed69cace8c3ae4710f6f1bf40c9545ac8eb5c3bda02a07689cef148a0bd670c2.js", "controllers/payment_monitor_controller": "/assets/controllers/payment_monitor_controller-f97e94cdc70f60676af3a78033f980ad34ebbe851732af9e9a0215f695381d88.js", "controllers/price_controller": "/assets/controllers/price_controller-4212732a33e7ead790bca190b6d7a148e72ad6905ec066231fd6395573559d98.js", "controllers/quick_searches_controller": "/assets/controllers/quick_searches_controller-8fd6f4dead6e19f2a4f2116999377fce637458f0b1ceddfa8589d2a8dc778a9e.js", "controllers/search_and_add_controller": "/assets/controllers/search_and_add_controller-252551d0609ce17e9f16a39315a515ecab88efd85ceabec478046da8dd89e0c6.js", "controllers/searches_controller": "/assets/controllers/searches_controller-b5ef9d52f183012a9d04a6d25ca90a5dacacb7da5b8133c31b8edda4575f95e4.js", "controllers/sortable_controller": "/assets/controllers/sortable_controller-7cc2e5fa0e0b8ae0852bcfce5b0572b236d8c0ed54995b9c708d3be267c5ca66.js", "controllers/stripe_controller": "/assets/controllers/stripe_controller-ccc0cdf9ea3204001f158798053eff9b049a5293561be6058152b5c71a4d00a3.js", "controllers/subscription/gift_controller": "/assets/controllers/subscription/gift_controller-a558a273a277188026ec3e56df1e7625e4ab15b4ead2b938fdb37eebad2d62ec.js", "controllers/subscription": "/assets/controllers/subscription/index-04024382391bb910584145d8113cf35ef376b55d125bb4516cebeb14ce788597.js", "controllers/subscription/plan_controller": "/assets/controllers/subscription/plan_controller-e49f2b7c638831d1ecd40c4f7aa6228cd0e88a7c228027d809722b32ecd6a012.js", "controllers/subscription/priority_mail_controller": "/assets/controllers/subscription/priority_mail_controller-3d4fe6341aa018107a00d734da0b48dc9b398574751eca06be60b42692131432.js", "controllers/subscription/student_controller": "/assets/controllers/subscription/student_controller-28c1668701074e921763eea4c04acc48ecb00bf1cd0b562b7c1c24bbeffcb698.js", "controllers/subscriptions_controller": "/assets/controllers/subscriptions_controller-bd30b36480b250bfdf7555d271857a5e0f50e8b0ec3e34d69672437b52d90670.js", "controllers/toggle_controller": "/assets/controllers/toggle_controller-01bb4089a2baf06513eca47090bd4ca5567cc4432db636ed3f54091095cfcad1.js", "constants": "/assets/constants/index-e3f2b29368d3ce5b540adf8aef816802c7a9fa0836d6b93c92326ef2ab60fa40.js", "view_models/countries": "/assets/view_models/countries-742ea74854f2f9adce842ee893289833a3cded393d3ad420b14e3898e552d6f7.js", "view_models/customer": "/assets/view_models/customer-44cba2b999465f3786479e64c1fca24668224691be6a949ef1a81af5faf08f12.js", "view_models": "/assets/view_models/index-04024382391bb910584145d8113cf35ef376b55d125bb4516cebeb14ce788597.js", "view_models/subscription_plans": "/assets/view_models/subscription_plans-8df1e121bb83c7c51adbbef76e982beececb48c458cfc765bb2d5a59bc32a496.js", "lib/api": "/assets/lib/api-05a9d87f9cc2fd30cc16a5f164a0fa3ae0ae1f6fd7a9de22627c65866b3ff241.js", "lib/collection_validator": "/assets/lib/collection_validator-c7efdd42b528fe73895a4c3144377387ac63c099c6a5853cb33fa7a13660f86b.js", "lib/formy": "/assets/lib/formy-82b9095e09e2f71861d2e6ec23713c0634b7225f306e1cc1f0377c61a6606162.js", "lib/hacks": "/assets/lib/hacks-d126d6be25ef0cf537f15fc604e68fe5e37dc93ca488801ddc7bde8346d8a3f6.js", "lib": "/assets/lib/index-713e037c4a3cc3b05f4898435c6d4ed08a957cbb7672ff42b2ac719f059742bb.js", "lib/label_parser": "/assets/lib/label_parser-a3b4715f63a20c8ecd8d2bb45e7a3543b4a2cbfc16804668beb9c5b705de33bc.js", "lib/republication_price_calculators": "/assets/lib/republication_price_calculators-f572a0cee2e75334d4d8c7dfa7646a4bdab8d7d0f51e5327f05c2bba73f40274.js", "lib/republication_property_select": "/assets/lib/republication_property_select-94781da66b56372879b3b69c4f2a22887d98ed414b2fd10effdfccc29182fe0e.js", "lib/select2_factory": "/assets/lib/select2_factory-8dfcb994653d678495e104fbaa3ef8dde705cbf20896dd4b513899f349b47725.js", "lib/util": "/assets/lib/util-ccb8cec2071811b8ae9c42894a9beb0f9435883dbc98f3d70dae1debf9d5c5aa.js", "channels/consumer": "/assets/channels/consumer-a81831895c5e410f6e17da457b495390176082e6cd70628a893e7f4dfc09fdc0.js", "channels": "/assets/channels/index-2983a1503d73f62703fe53d06f8d3b4d6829d995276142c70e1a4acf1ab7e65a.js", "channels/payment_monitor_channel": "/assets/channels/payment_monitor_channel-abc85bf8040a59087c7c69df1660c2e606fde447d4b8ba6533039db7e218fdb6.js" } }</script> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/application-fe0fbdd14241aa7361c81722892327189b9083d1a4ea75cdc9ecafbeb59ab819.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/turbo.min-918a6cf2f2be8ed9555c9a11eee69c7dc2f01770802815576efc931876b327fb.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/stimulus.min-dd364f16ec9504dfb72672295637a1c8838773b01c0b441bd41008124c407894.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/stimulus-loading-3576ce92b149ad5d6959438c6f291e2426c86df3b874c525b30faad51b0d96b3.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://js.stripe.com/v3/"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:jquery@3.7.0/dist/jquery.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:parsleyjs@2.9.2/dist/parsley.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:dropcap.js@1.0.1/dropcap.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/foundation-sites-7310dc6470bc992009222f334d26583ebe72bd9d436799b421479467efb1a911.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:lodash@4.17.21/lodash.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:select2@4.1.0-rc.0/dist/js/select2.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:sortablejs@1.15.0/modular/sortable.esm.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:chart.js@4.2.0/dist/chart.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:@kurkle/color@0.3.2/dist/color.esm.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:chartkick@5.0.1/dist/chartkick.esm.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:webfontloader@1.6.28/webfontloader.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/actioncable.esm-06609b0ecaffe2ab952021b9c8df8b6c68f65fc23bee728fc678a2605e1ce132.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="https://ga.jspm.io/npm:simplelightbox@2.14.1/dist/simple-lightbox.modules.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/admin/accounts/subscription/gift_controller-3b4b56969d106b9d1c0f0a38f1c6e62ffe328938884e87abe4f149c1eaea3a69.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/admin/accounts/subscriptions_controller-fddb19356cbf5d6038876ab9cc36160e174fb780c05aa8b6fd844cea3715cc02.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/admin/republication_permissions_form_controller-c0ab8c5c832e86ec72a755454d6207e588a82b7d3878d26018ed603bdfbd1e68.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/admin/republication_permissions_index_controller-5a3b869247d534dc542dcba547d077dfc7d3bd0be257d86ee861435d645096b6.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/application-63f22ce6291b2c336b75954c09c8cd9ea9eb031e3204088e4035fcb63140d74a.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/articles_controller-8e47d301bccdc1856f315def5bdcdbaffd283b0f32bf9db5ca41877f37bd4cb2.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/autocomplete_controller-90106809a7ea05b8f877cd6db5d24718f0463bbaac1c40a39ebe66e9136a1ad1.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/blog/export_controller-c3818bd5afb25bf35694bd455933ea3b970766c56a2a49c0cd849f189a8f2135.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/blog/posts_controller-67e764b24edbbcb285ac433f914993da1588dd08488b0859d5a191f61eefdb5e.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/carousel_controller-803a8e71bbc3ce81e9b46bf948f5bb8a150e52bee9b45790922136a32ea1e119.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/colour_input_controller-67cd09eba0db7fa123148ce18db1e7c8bda4315018593e4a1d05b7e216ce83fe.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/donations_controller-f10b11d87a3cdfc30735a054be54b1d35f322aa0e4a1f15666a59984ef12901f.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/file_input_controller-43b84ef005287547880f63c97003616d9a8157292508efe8fb6f28a4b1c07857.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/foundation_controller-4c4e844e93411eb0d11c79708cf3b372502775a8063c9dae6c2e0b9e800b33fd.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/index-4c24b382dd25b508bb71b6832c879db5d24ad450f8546d87f4860c63610689ac.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/lightbox_controller-32481e0e4b442415a12a23b9e22555a8fb66eae554b47dd74eb7cdcc11fc4eae.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/lookup_controller-6936a993e2ebf7abec820ddb07c5b01423c561f1a43e4c1f061429d3a4a7c16e.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/parsley_controller-ed69cace8c3ae4710f6f1bf40c9545ac8eb5c3bda02a07689cef148a0bd670c2.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/payment_monitor_controller-f97e94cdc70f60676af3a78033f980ad34ebbe851732af9e9a0215f695381d88.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/price_controller-4212732a33e7ead790bca190b6d7a148e72ad6905ec066231fd6395573559d98.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/quick_searches_controller-8fd6f4dead6e19f2a4f2116999377fce637458f0b1ceddfa8589d2a8dc778a9e.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/search_and_add_controller-252551d0609ce17e9f16a39315a515ecab88efd85ceabec478046da8dd89e0c6.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/searches_controller-b5ef9d52f183012a9d04a6d25ca90a5dacacb7da5b8133c31b8edda4575f95e4.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/sortable_controller-7cc2e5fa0e0b8ae0852bcfce5b0572b236d8c0ed54995b9c708d3be267c5ca66.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/stripe_controller-ccc0cdf9ea3204001f158798053eff9b049a5293561be6058152b5c71a4d00a3.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscription/gift_controller-a558a273a277188026ec3e56df1e7625e4ab15b4ead2b938fdb37eebad2d62ec.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscription/index-04024382391bb910584145d8113cf35ef376b55d125bb4516cebeb14ce788597.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscription/plan_controller-e49f2b7c638831d1ecd40c4f7aa6228cd0e88a7c228027d809722b32ecd6a012.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscription/priority_mail_controller-3d4fe6341aa018107a00d734da0b48dc9b398574751eca06be60b42692131432.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscription/student_controller-28c1668701074e921763eea4c04acc48ecb00bf1cd0b562b7c1c24bbeffcb698.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/subscriptions_controller-bd30b36480b250bfdf7555d271857a5e0f50e8b0ec3e34d69672437b52d90670.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/controllers/toggle_controller-01bb4089a2baf06513eca47090bd4ca5567cc4432db636ed3f54091095cfcad1.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/constants/index-e3f2b29368d3ce5b540adf8aef816802c7a9fa0836d6b93c92326ef2ab60fa40.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/view_models/countries-742ea74854f2f9adce842ee893289833a3cded393d3ad420b14e3898e552d6f7.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/view_models/customer-44cba2b999465f3786479e64c1fca24668224691be6a949ef1a81af5faf08f12.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/view_models/index-04024382391bb910584145d8113cf35ef376b55d125bb4516cebeb14ce788597.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/view_models/subscription_plans-8df1e121bb83c7c51adbbef76e982beececb48c458cfc765bb2d5a59bc32a496.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/api-05a9d87f9cc2fd30cc16a5f164a0fa3ae0ae1f6fd7a9de22627c65866b3ff241.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/collection_validator-c7efdd42b528fe73895a4c3144377387ac63c099c6a5853cb33fa7a13660f86b.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/formy-82b9095e09e2f71861d2e6ec23713c0634b7225f306e1cc1f0377c61a6606162.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/hacks-d126d6be25ef0cf537f15fc604e68fe5e37dc93ca488801ddc7bde8346d8a3f6.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/index-713e037c4a3cc3b05f4898435c6d4ed08a957cbb7672ff42b2ac719f059742bb.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/label_parser-a3b4715f63a20c8ecd8d2bb45e7a3543b4a2cbfc16804668beb9c5b705de33bc.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/republication_price_calculators-f572a0cee2e75334d4d8c7dfa7646a4bdab8d7d0f51e5327f05c2bba73f40274.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/republication_property_select-94781da66b56372879b3b69c4f2a22887d98ed414b2fd10effdfccc29182fe0e.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/select2_factory-8dfcb994653d678495e104fbaa3ef8dde705cbf20896dd4b513899f349b47725.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/lib/util-ccb8cec2071811b8ae9c42894a9beb0f9435883dbc98f3d70dae1debf9d5c5aa.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/channels/consumer-a81831895c5e410f6e17da457b495390176082e6cd70628a893e7f4dfc09fdc0.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/channels/index-2983a1503d73f62703fe53d06f8d3b4d6829d995276142c70e1a4acf1ab7e65a.js"> <link rel="modulepreload" href="/assets/channels/payment_monitor_channel-abc85bf8040a59087c7c69df1660c2e606fde447d4b8ba6533039db7e218fdb6.js"> <script type="module">import "application"</script><!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-KF8XF989Q2"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-KF8XF989Q2'); </script> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <script>var _rollbarConfig = {"accessToken":"e41bb2b581fb4cacbd6ee146e266b0e2","captureUncaught":true,"captureUnhandledRejections":true,"payload":{"environment":"production","person":{"id":null,"username":null,"email":null}}};</script> <script>!function(r){var e={};function o(n){if(e[n])return e[n].exports;var t=e[n]={i:n,l:!1,exports:{}};return r[n].call(t.exports,t,t.exports,o),t.l=!0,t.exports}o.m=r,o.c=e,o.d=function(r,e,n){o.o(r,e)||Object.defineProperty(r,e,{enumerable:!0,get:n})},o.r=function(r){"undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&Symbol.toStringTag&&Object.defineProperty(r,Symbol.toStringTag,{value:"Module"}),Object.defineProperty(r,"__esModule",{value:!0})},o.t=function(r,e){if(1&e&&(r=o(r)),8&e)return r;if(4&e&&"object"==typeof r&&r&&r.__esModule)return r;var n=Object.create(null);if(o.r(n),Object.defineProperty(n,"default",{enumerable:!0,value:r}),2&e&&"string"!=typeof r)for(var t in r)o.d(n,t,function(e){return r[e]}.bind(null,t));return n},o.n=function(r){var e=r&&r.__esModule?function(){return r.default}:function(){return r};return o.d(e,"a",e),e},o.o=function(r,e){return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(r,e)},o.p="",o(o.s=0)}([function(r,e,o){"use strict";var n=o(1),t=o(5);_rollbarConfig=_rollbarConfig||{},_rollbarConfig.rollbarJsUrl=_rollbarConfig.rollbarJsUrl||"https://cdn.rollbar.com/rollbarjs/refs/tags/v2.26.1/rollbar.min.js",_rollbarConfig.async=void 0===_rollbarConfig.async||_rollbarConfig.async;var a=n.setupShim(window,_rollbarConfig),l=t(_rollbarConfig);window.rollbar=n.Rollbar,a.loadFull(window,document,!_rollbarConfig.async,_rollbarConfig,l)},function(r,e,o){"use strict";var n=o(2),t=o(3);function a(r){return function(){try{return r.apply(this,arguments)}catch(r){try{console.error("[Rollbar]: Internal error",r)}catch(r){}}}}var l=0;function i(r,e){this.options=r,this._rollbarOldOnError=null;var o=l++;this.shimId=function(){return o},"undefined"!=typeof window&&window._rollbarShims&&(window._rollbarShims[o]={handler:e,messages:[]})}var s=o(4),d=function(r,e){return new i(r,e)},c=function(r){return new s(d,r)};function u(r){return a((function(){var e=this,o=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0),n={shim:e,method:r,args:o,ts:new Date};window._rollbarShims[this.shimId()].messages.push(n)}))}i.prototype.loadFull=function(r,e,o,n,t){var l=!1,i=e.createElement("script"),s=e.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],d=s.parentNode;i.crossOrigin="",i.src=n.rollbarJsUrl,o||(i.async=!0),i.onload=i.onreadystatechange=a((function(){if(!(l||this.readyState&&"loaded"!==this.readyState&&"complete"!==this.readyState)){i.onload=i.onreadystatechange=null;try{d.removeChild(i)}catch(r){}l=!0,function(){var e;if(void 0===r._rollbarDidLoad){e=new Error("rollbar.js did not load");for(var o,n,a,l,i=0;o=r._rollbarShims[i++];)for(o=o.messages||[];n=o.shift();)for(a=n.args||[],i=0;i<a.length;++i)if("function"==typeof(l=a[i])){l(e);break}}"function"==typeof t&&t(e)}()}})),d.insertBefore(i,s)},i.prototype.wrap=function(r,e,o){try{var n;if(n="function"==typeof e?e:function(){return e||{}},"function"!=typeof r)return r;if(r._isWrap)return r;if(!r._rollbar_wrapped&&(r._rollbar_wrapped=function(){o&&"function"==typeof o&&o.apply(this,arguments);try{return r.apply(this,arguments)}catch(o){var e=o;throw e&&("string"==typeof e&&(e=new String(e)),e._rollbarContext=n()||{},e._rollbarContext._wrappedSource=r.toString(),window._rollbarWrappedError=e),e}},r._rollbar_wrapped._isWrap=!0,r.hasOwnProperty))for(var t in r)r.hasOwnProperty(t)&&(r._rollbar_wrapped[t]=r[t]);return r._rollbar_wrapped}catch(e){return r}};for(var p="log,debug,info,warn,warning,error,critical,global,configure,handleUncaughtException,handleAnonymousErrors,handleUnhandledRejection,captureEvent,captureDomContentLoaded,captureLoad".split(","),f=0;f<p.length;++f)i.prototype[p[f]]=u(p[f]);r.exports={setupShim:function(r,e){if(r){var o=e.globalAlias||"Rollbar";if("object"==typeof r[o])return r[o];r._rollbarShims={},r._rollbarWrappedError=null;var l=new c(e);return a((function(){e.captureUncaught&&(l._rollbarOldOnError=r.onerror,n.captureUncaughtExceptions(r,l,!0),e.wrapGlobalEventHandlers&&t(r,l,!0)),e.captureUnhandledRejections&&n.captureUnhandledRejections(r,l,!0);var a=e.autoInstrument;return!1!==e.enabled&&(void 0===a||!0===a||function(r){return!("object"!=typeof r||void 0!==r.page&&!r.page)}(a))&&r.addEventListener&&(r.addEventListener("load",l.captureLoad.bind(l)),r.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",l.captureDomContentLoaded.bind(l))),r[o]=l,l}))()}},Rollbar:c}},function(r,e,o){"use strict";function n(r,e,o,n){r._rollbarWrappedError&&(n[4]||(n[4]=r._rollbarWrappedError),n[5]||(n[5]=r._rollbarWrappedError._rollbarContext),r._rollbarWrappedError=null);var t=e.handleUncaughtException.apply(e,n);o&&o.apply(r,n),"anonymous"===t&&(e.anonymousErrorsPending+=1)}r.exports={captureUncaughtExceptions:function(r,e,o){if(r){var t;if("function"==typeof e._rollbarOldOnError)t=e._rollbarOldOnError;else if(r.onerror){for(t=r.onerror;t._rollbarOldOnError;)t=t._rollbarOldOnError;e._rollbarOldOnError=t}e.handleAnonymousErrors();var a=function(){var o=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0);n(r,e,t,o)};o&&(a._rollbarOldOnError=t),r.onerror=a}},captureUnhandledRejections:function(r,e,o){if(r){"function"==typeof r._rollbarURH&&r._rollbarURH.belongsToShim&&r.removeEventListener("unhandledrejection",r._rollbarURH);var n=function(r){var o,n,t;try{o=r.reason}catch(r){o=void 0}try{n=r.promise}catch(r){n="[unhandledrejection] error getting `promise` from event"}try{t=r.detail,!o&&t&&(o=t.reason,n=t.promise)}catch(r){}o||(o="[unhandledrejection] error getting `reason` from event"),e&&e.handleUnhandledRejection&&e.handleUnhandledRejection(o,n)};n.belongsToShim=o,r._rollbarURH=n,r.addEventListener("unhandledrejection",n)}}}},function(r,e,o){"use strict";function n(r,e,o){if(e.hasOwnProperty&&e.hasOwnProperty("addEventListener")){for(var n=e.addEventListener;n._rollbarOldAdd&&n.belongsToShim;)n=n._rollbarOldAdd;var t=function(e,o,t){n.call(this,e,r.wrap(o),t)};t._rollbarOldAdd=n,t.belongsToShim=o,e.addEventListener=t;for(var a=e.removeEventListener;a._rollbarOldRemove&&a.belongsToShim;)a=a._rollbarOldRemove;var l=function(r,e,o){a.call(this,r,e&&e._rollbar_wrapped||e,o)};l._rollbarOldRemove=a,l.belongsToShim=o,e.removeEventListener=l}}r.exports=function(r,e,o){if(r){var t,a,l="EventTarget,Window,Node,ApplicationCache,AudioTrackList,ChannelMergerNode,CryptoOperation,EventSource,FileReader,HTMLUnknownElement,IDBDatabase,IDBRequest,IDBTransaction,KeyOperation,MediaController,MessagePort,ModalWindow,Notification,SVGElementInstance,Screen,TextTrack,TextTrackCue,TextTrackList,WebSocket,WebSocketWorker,Worker,XMLHttpRequest,XMLHttpRequestEventTarget,XMLHttpRequestUpload".split(",");for(t=0;t<l.length;++t)r[a=l[t]]&&r[a].prototype&&n(e,r[a].prototype,o)}}},function(r,e,o){"use strict";function n(r,e){this.impl=r(e,this),this.options=e,function(r){for(var e=function(r){return function(){var e=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments,0);if(this.impl[r])return this.impl[r].apply(this.impl,e)}},o="log,debug,info,warn,warning,error,critical,global,configure,handleUncaughtException,handleAnonymousErrors,handleUnhandledRejection,_createItem,wrap,loadFull,shimId,captureEvent,captureDomContentLoaded,captureLoad".split(","),n=0;n<o.length;n++)r[o[n]]=e(o[n])}(n.prototype)}n.prototype._swapAndProcessMessages=function(r,e){var o,n,t;for(this.impl=r(this.options);o=e.shift();)n=o.method,t=o.args,this[n]&&"function"==typeof this[n]&&("captureDomContentLoaded"===n||"captureLoad"===n?this[n].apply(this,[t[0],o.ts]):this[n].apply(this,t));return this},r.exports=n},function(r,e,o){"use strict";r.exports=function(r){return function(e){if(!e&&!window._rollbarInitialized){for(var o,n,t=(r=r||{}).globalAlias||"Rollbar",a=window.rollbar,l=function(r){return new a(r)},i=0;o=window._rollbarShims[i++];)n||(n=o.handler),o.handler._swapAndProcessMessages(l,o.messages);window[t]=n,window._rollbarInitialized=!0}}}}]);</script><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport" /><meta content="ie=edge" http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" /><meta name="action-cable-url" content="wss://newleftreview.org/cable" /><title>Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977</title><meta content=" The appearance of systematic barriers to economic advance in the course of capitalist expansion—the ‘development of underdevelopment’—has posed difficult problems for Marxist theory. There has arisen, in response, a strong tendency sharply to revise Marx’s conceptions regarding economic development. In part, this has been a healthy reaction to . . . " name="description" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/application-deaf103fc77fd40509ad2d3a4bb47d835b2f03c4b67a168cb2366acaa6dcf489.css" data-turbo-track="true" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/adobe-68b0c4d11d5fa251d4cef110a7ea2323e4e17eb29f5592f097e396e7a9ad8252.css" data-turbo-track="true" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/print-dffa43a419e617e72be45822f7ed41234ad29fc55ec252cb048a28430c8c8b98.css" media="print" data-turbo-track="true" /><meta name="csrf-param" content="authenticity_token" /> <meta name="csrf-token" content="tflEZaJ3MCkmpuyLCRR-5Ragh6SPQWRZiEOUnXC9HVmg92b0IecSYjZO7LAYkVh8Am_5xuQtEnwI6WbJmTEUSg" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-57x57-335ad3515a4d2e700008ca5a1ca3fd0209840c5155fda7bb90d20e115f2d495a.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-114x114-065cc4cd353db39a62f923a7bdd755a891818b9779208d2b37aa6d7a40fc8ab7.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-72x72-fa8799e4f37f271bb5dc1f86a7ce5bdadf1d4d2c35d9ad735f2c785d53e9900d.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-144x144-08c4539a49c5501da1efc1f25c898a3fbd0142f2596216c171bd0bd5f1bc1d7e.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-60x60-9aa47e18d0e4d87c7d5fe7585829d77a55e44a8bf39d6b12030f02d3bf6b6b3c.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="60x60" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-120x120-ffe0858f31d84cde81abea5564921809725c9097417b7e19e799d293833d8602.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-76x76-197ecf0ecc3f6de0b5fc12445bb5577736dc4d7027a8c5656335e6b68a4640f5.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="76x76" /><link href="/assets/favicons/apple-touch-icon-152x152-1fb4fb80f11537438426afceef43979c9b2e048d130de1f1313b115e23562665.png" rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" /><link href="/assets/favicons/favicon-196x196-8d1603cc3441d61d439f5b012ee0154775c3c4babba7aa6a4fe2698f4fcfd754.png" rel="icon" sizes="196x196" type="image/png" /><link href="/assets/favicons/favicon-96x96-89f5af03232e6a2fd3cbe79f0b73a19c58633108ee05a3d2a0f69f976f90b636.png" rel="icon" sizes="96x96" type="image/png" /><link href="/assets/favicons/favicon-32x32-63530010cb05c352604fafe0d81c181b3be04010d258aade778c78eb8496de31.png" rel="icon" sizes="32x32" type="image/png" /><link href="/assets/favicons/favicon-16x16-826d5ca1a21fe46849cadb8144e03e5481b15dce38a414f4f3254131c05aed00.png" rel="icon" sizes="16x16" type="image/png" /><link href="/assets/favicons/favicon-128-75fbe66f87d823778b36003882e886bd8e76dadf9e79df54cd54ab682b53269a.png" rel="icon" sizes="128x128" type="image/png" /><meta content="New Left Review" name="application-name" /><meta content="#FFFFFF" name="msapplication-TileColor" /><meta content="/assets/favicons/mstile-144x144-08c4539a49c5501da1efc1f25c898a3fbd0142f2596216c171bd0bd5f1bc1d7e.png" name="msapplication-TileImage" /><meta content="/assets/favicons/mstile-70x70-75fbe66f87d823778b36003882e886bd8e76dadf9e79df54cd54ab682b53269a.png" name="msapplication-square70x70logo" /><meta content="/assets/favicons/mstile-150x150-c65f8d3517b0f83833d70af33346fc11b157c1ff57794b899c44537bbb93662a.png" name="msapplication-square150x150logo" /><meta content="/assets/favicons/mstile-310x150-54891b82c6d2c95cfe2cf233fc4cf4bd49e576e36d3338493395a82b285e9276.png" name="msapplication-wide310x150logo" /><meta content="/assets/favicons/mstile-310x310-d7cf34d723a1817874867eed9084336cbbcd775d2ebc449e7397775cb180e246.png" name="msapplication-square310x310logo" /><meta content="1787705818145668" property="fb:app_id" /><meta content="Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977" property="og:title" /><meta content="https://newleftreview.org/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism" property="og:url" /><meta content="https://newleftreview.org/assets/social_media/nlr_default_card-023912cb7a0dd8c076b5f719e60aaa3cd5d1753c885f9df8bd772bb756d7e428.png" property="og:image" /><meta content=" The appearance of systematic barriers to economic advance in the course of capitalist expansion—the ‘development of underdevelopment’—has posed difficult problems for Marxist theory. There has arisen, in response, a strong tendency sharply to revise Marx’s conceptions regarding economic development. In part, this has been a healthy reaction to . . . " property="og:description" /><meta content="New Left Review" property="og:site_name" /><meta content="website" property="og:type" /><meta content="summary_large_image" name="twitter:card" /><meta content="@newleftreview" name="twitter:site" /><meta content="@newleftreview" name="twitter:creator" /><meta content="Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977" name="twitter:title" /><meta content=" The appearance of systematic barriers to economic advance in the course of capitalist expansion—the ‘development of underdevelopment’—has posed difficult problems for Marxist theory. There has arisen, in response, a strong tendency sharply to revise Marx’s conceptions regarding economic development. In part, this has been a healthy reaction to . . . " name="twitter:description" /><meta content="https://newleftreview.org/assets/social_media/nlr_default_card-023912cb7a0dd8c076b5f719e60aaa3cd5d1753c885f9df8bd772bb756d7e428.png" name="twitter:image" /><meta content="The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism" name="citation_title" /><meta content="Robert Brenner" name="citation_author" /><meta content="1977-08-01 00:00:00 UTC" name="citation_publication_date" /><meta content="New Left Review" name="citation_journal_title" /><meta content="I" name="citation_volume" /><meta content="104" name="citation_issue" /><meta content="25" name="citation_firstpage" /><meta content="92" name="citation_lastpage" /><meta content="/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism.pdf" name="citation_pdf_url" /><link href="/feed" rel="alternate" title="RSS" type="application/rss+xml" /></head><body class="bg-colour-issue-web-bg production locale-en guest-user c-articles a-show site-section-nlr" data-action="turbo:load@document->foundation#configure turbo:visit@document->foundation#onVisit resize@window->foundation#onResize" data-controller="foundation"><style type="text/css" data-turbolinks-clear> :root { --issue-background: #C98F9D; --issue-web-background: rgb(60.30000000000001, 42.900000000000006, 47.10000000000001); --issue-text: #0C216D; --issue-n: #0C216D; --issue-l: #0C216D; --issue-r: #0C216D; --button-primary-color: #0C216D; --button-primary-background-color: #C98F9D; --button-primary-hover-background-color: rgb(130.65, 92.95, 102.05000000000001); } .colour-issue-text { color: #0C216D; fill: #0C216D; } .bg-colour-issue-bg { color: black; background-color: #C98F9D; } .bg-colour-issue-web-bg { color: white; background-color: rgb(60.30000000000001, 42.900000000000006, 47.10000000000001); } .bg-colour-issue-n { color: black; background-color: #FFC2DB; } .bg-colour-issue-l { color: black; background-color: #FFC2DB; } .bg-colour-issue-r { color: black; background-color: #FFC2DB; } .fill-colour-issue-n { fill: #FFC2DB; } .fill-colour-issue-l { fill: #FFC2DB; } .fill-colour-issue-r { fill: #FFC2DB; } .button.primary, .button.primary:hover { color: #0C216D; background-color: #C98F9D; box-shadow: 2px 2px white; } </style> <div id="body-wrapper"><header class="site-header colour-issue-text bg-colour-issue-bg hide-for-print" data-action="click@document->quick-searches#hide" data-controller="quick-searches" data-foundation-target="siteHeader" data-quick-searches-target="siteHeader" data-sticky-container="" id="site-header"><nav data-options="marginTop:0;" data-sticky="" data-sticky-on="small" style="width:100%;"><div class="top-bar-container"><div class="top-bar colour-issue-text bg-colour-issue-bg" data-foundation-target="topBar"><div class="text-left"><span data-action="click->foundation#toggleMenu" data-foundation-target="menuToggle" data-hide-for="large" data-responsive-toggle="main-menu" id="menu-toggle"><button class="colour-issue-text" data-toggle="" type="button"></button><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="burger-icon" width="25" height="21" viewBox="0 0 25 21" class="open_menu icon"> <g transform="translate(-25 -19.5)"> <line x2="25" transform="translate(25 40)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-width="1"></line> <line x2="25" transform="translate(25 30)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-width="1"></line> <line x2="25" transform="translate(25 20)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-width="1"></line> </g> </svg> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.1" id="x-icon" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 19.68 19.68" style="enable-background:new 0 0 19.68 19.68;" xml:space="preserve" class="close_menu icon"> <rect x="-3.12" y="9.41" transform="matrix(0.7071 -0.7071 0.7071 0.7071 -4.0814 9.895)" width="26.04" height="0.94"></rect> <rect x="-3.12" y="9.41" transform="matrix(-0.7071 -0.7071 0.7071 -0.7071 9.9244 23.8592)" width="26.04" height="0.94"></rect> </svg> </span></div><div class="top-bar-over"><a class="logo-link" data-turbo="true" href="/"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="New Left Review masthead" data-name="Group 53" width="494.745" height="46.95" viewBox="0 0 494.745 46.95" class="logo cell"> <title>New Left Review</title> <path class="logo_new fill-colour-issue-n" id="logo_n" data-name="Logo n" d="M1196.911,1971.917l-19.714-29.745-1.532-2.785a7.073,7.073,0,0,1-.625-1.6V1971.5h-8.359v-45.975h10.1l18.6,29.117a24.639,24.639,0,0,1,2.437,5.015v-34.132h8.289v46.393Z" transform="translate(-1166.68 -1925.524)"></path> <path class="logo_new fill-colour-issue-n" id="logo_e" data-name="Logo e" d="M1189.3,1965.244v-34.2h22.78v6.341h-14.491v7.243H1209.5v6.34h-11.912v7.941h15.257v6.339Z" transform="translate(-1141.03 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_new fill-colour-issue-n" id="logo_w" data-name="Logo w" d="M1237.169,1965.939h-5.922l-4.736-12.12-4.738,12.12H1216.2l-13.654-34.9h8.639l8.567,23.755,3.414-8.707-6.129-15.047h7.662l2.23,6.827,1.948-6.827h6.479l-5.015,14.561,3.551,9.473,8.359-24.034h7.873Z" transform="translate(-1126.002 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-l" id="logo_l" data-name="Logo l" d="M1236.361,1971.5v-45.975h8.778v38.52h18.808v7.454Z" transform="translate(-1087.655 -1925.524)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-l" id="logo_e" data-name="Logo e" d="M1252.68,1965.244v-34.2h22.777v6.341h-14.488v7.243h11.913v6.34h-11.913v7.941h15.254v6.339Z" transform="translate(-1069.147 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-l" id="logo_f" data-name="Logo f" d="M1275.428,1937.381v7.593h12.26v6.338h-12.26v13.932h-8.289v-34.2h23.2v6.341Z" transform="translate(-1052.749 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-l" id="logo_t" data-name="Logo t" d="M1299.357,1937.381v27.863H1291v-27.863h-10.378v-6.341h29.117v6.341Z" transform="translate(-1037.462 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_r" data-name="Logo r" d="M1329.205,1971.5l-10.52-18.39H1314.3v18.39h-8.778v-45.975h15.326c6.686,0,9.751.836,12.467,3.412,2.51,2.3,3.763,5.645,3.763,9.962a13.978,13.978,0,0,1-2.507,8.639c-1.742,2.228-3.344,3.2-7.175,4.249l11.424,19.713Zm-9.2-38.521H1314.3v12.677h5.711c5.572,0,8.011-1.951,8.011-6.547C1328.021,1934.72,1325.723,1932.978,1320.01,1932.978Z" transform="translate(-1009.219 -1925.524)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_e" data-name="Logo e" d="M1324.255,1965.244v-34.2h22.777v6.341h-14.488v7.243h11.912v6.34h-11.912v7.941H1347.8v6.339Z" transform="translate(-987.974 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_v" data-name="Logo v" d="M1356.876,1966.219h-6.061l-13.374-35.179h8.916l8.01,22.571,7.245-22.571h8.639Z" transform="translate(-973.02 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_i" data-name="Logo i" d="M1355.457,1965.244v-34.2h8.36v34.2Z" transform="translate(-952.588 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_e" data-name="Logo e" d="M1363.126,1965.244v-34.2h22.779v6.341h-14.489v7.243h11.911v6.34h-11.911v7.941h15.255v6.339Z" transform="translate(-943.89 -1919.269)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-r" id="logo_w" data-name="Logo w" d="M1410.836,1965.939h-5.922l-4.735-12.12-4.738,12.12h-5.572l-13.655-34.9h8.639l8.569,23.755,3.412-8.707-6.129-15.047h7.661l2.23,6.827,1.949-6.827h6.479l-5.015,14.561,3.553,9.473,8.357-24.034h7.873Z" transform="translate(-929.047 -1919.269)"></path> </svg> </a></div><div class="colour-issue-text grid-x" data-foundation-target="mainMenu" id="main-menu"><div class="top-bar-primary"><a id="minimised_masthead" class="logo-link" data-turbo="true" href="/"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="64.181" height="23.736" viewBox="0 0 64.181 23.736" class="logo"> <g transform="translate(-2003.861 -2722.738)"> <path class="logo_new fill-colour-issue-n" data-name="N" d="M2019.439,2746.474l-10.158-15.218-.79-1.426a3.569,3.569,0,0,1-.322-.82v17.25h-4.307v-23.522h5.2l9.584,14.9a12.6,12.6,0,0,1,1.256,2.566v-17.463h4.271v23.736Z" transform="translate(0)"></path> <path class="logo_left fill-colour-issue-l" data-name="L" d="M2122.614,2746.259v-23.521h4.523v19.707h9.691v3.814Z" transform="translate(-91.796 0)"></path> <path class="logo_review fill-colour-issue-r" data-name="R" d="M2223.335,2746.259l-5.42-9.408h-2.26v9.408h-4.523v-23.521h7.9c3.445,0,5.025.427,6.424,1.746a6.556,6.556,0,0,1,1.938,5.1A7.108,7.108,0,0,1,2226.1,2734a5.876,5.876,0,0,1-3.7,2.174l5.886,10.086Zm-4.738-19.707h-2.943v6.485h2.943c2.871,0,4.127-1,4.127-3.35C2222.725,2727.442,2221.541,2726.552,2218.6,2726.552Z" transform="translate(-160.246 0)"></path> </g> </svg> </a><ul class="menu vertical large-horizontal"><li class="show-for-large"><a data-turbo="true" href="/">Home</a></li><li class="show-for-large"><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/about">About</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/issues">Archive</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/sidecar">Sidecar</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/authors/A">Contributors</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/subscriptions/new">Subscribe</a></li><li><a id="menu-account-link" data-turbo="true" href="/sign_in">Log in</a></li><li class="hide-for-large"><div class="search-opener" data-action="click->quick-searches#show click->quick-searches#focus:stop" data-target="#primary-search-small" id="primary-search-small-opener"><button name="" type="submit" class="button" id="search-button"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="magnifying-glass-icon" data-name="Magnifying Glass Icon" width="25.985" height="25.9" viewBox="0 0 25.985 25.9" class="icon colour-issue-text"> <path d="M25.63,24.011a1.038,1.038,0,0,1-.067,1.619,1,1,0,0,1-.742.27,1.1,1.1,0,0,1-.809-.337l-7.149-7.217a10.1,10.1,0,0,1-6.542,2.293A9.9,9.9,0,0,1,3,17.6,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,0,10.32,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,3.035,9.9,9.9,0,0,1,10.32,0a9.9,9.9,0,0,1,7.318,3.035,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,7.284,9.923,9.923,0,0,1-2.226,6.408ZM4.586,16.053a7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733,2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733-2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.361-5.733,7.805,7.805,0,0,0-2.361-5.733A7.805,7.805,0,0,0,10.32,2.226,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,4.586,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.226,10.32,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,16.053ZM25.9,25.9"></path> </svg> </button></div><div class="site-search" id="primary-search-small"><form data-turbo="true" action="/search" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="get"><input type="search" name="query[q]" id="query_q" data-quick-searches-target="input" data-action="click->quick-searches#focus:stop" class="input-group-field colour-issue-text" placeholder="Quick search..." /><button name="" type="submit" class="button" id="search-button"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="magnifying-glass-icon" data-name="Magnifying Glass Icon" width="25.985" height="25.9" viewBox="0 0 25.985 25.9" class="icon colour-issue-text"> <path d="M25.63,24.011a1.038,1.038,0,0,1-.067,1.619,1,1,0,0,1-.742.27,1.1,1.1,0,0,1-.809-.337l-7.149-7.217a10.1,10.1,0,0,1-6.542,2.293A9.9,9.9,0,0,1,3,17.6,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,0,10.32,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,3.035,9.9,9.9,0,0,1,10.32,0a9.9,9.9,0,0,1,7.318,3.035,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,7.284,9.923,9.923,0,0,1-2.226,6.408ZM4.586,16.053a7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733,2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733-2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.361-5.733,7.805,7.805,0,0,0-2.361-5.733A7.805,7.805,0,0,0,10.32,2.226,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,4.586,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.226,10.32,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,16.053ZM25.9,25.9"></path> </svg> </button></form></div></li><li class="hide-for-large"><a data-turbo="true" href="/search">Advanced search</a></li></ul><div class="search-opener show-for-large" data-action="click->quick-searches#show click->quick-searches#focus:stop" data-target="#primary-search-large" id="primary-search-large-opener"><button name="" type="submit" class="button"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="magnifying-glass-icon" data-name="Magnifying Glass Icon" width="25.985" height="25.9" viewBox="0 0 25.985 25.9" class="icon colour-issue-text"> <path d="M25.63,24.011a1.038,1.038,0,0,1-.067,1.619,1,1,0,0,1-.742.27,1.1,1.1,0,0,1-.809-.337l-7.149-7.217a10.1,10.1,0,0,1-6.542,2.293A9.9,9.9,0,0,1,3,17.6,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,0,10.32,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,3.035,9.9,9.9,0,0,1,10.32,0a9.9,9.9,0,0,1,7.318,3.035,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,7.284,9.923,9.923,0,0,1-2.226,6.408ZM4.586,16.053a7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733,2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733-2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.361-5.733,7.805,7.805,0,0,0-2.361-5.733A7.805,7.805,0,0,0,10.32,2.226,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,4.586,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.226,10.32,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,16.053ZM25.9,25.9"></path> </svg> </button></div></div></div><div class="site-search show-for-large" id="primary-search-large"><form action="/search" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="get"><a data-turbo="true" id="advanced-search-link" href="/search">Advanced search</a><input type="search" name="query[q]" id="query_q" class="input-group-field colour-issue-text" placeholder="Quick search..." data-quick-searches-target="input" data-action="click->quick-searches#focus:stop" /><button name="" type="submit" class="button" id="search-button"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" id="magnifying-glass-icon" data-name="Magnifying Glass Icon" width="25.985" height="25.9" viewBox="0 0 25.985 25.9" class="icon colour-issue-text"> <path d="M25.63,24.011a1.038,1.038,0,0,1-.067,1.619,1,1,0,0,1-.742.27,1.1,1.1,0,0,1-.809-.337l-7.149-7.217a10.1,10.1,0,0,1-6.542,2.293A9.9,9.9,0,0,1,3,17.6,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,0,10.32,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,3.035,9.9,9.9,0,0,1,10.32,0a9.9,9.9,0,0,1,7.318,3.035,9.991,9.991,0,0,1,3,7.284,9.923,9.923,0,0,1-2.226,6.408ZM4.586,16.053a7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733,2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,5.733-2.361,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.361-5.733,7.805,7.805,0,0,0-2.361-5.733A7.805,7.805,0,0,0,10.32,2.226,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,4.586,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,2.226,10.32,7.805,7.805,0,0,0,4.586,16.053ZM25.9,25.9"></path> </svg> </button></form></div></div></div></nav></header><div class="grid-x align-center"><section class="flash-messages"></section></div><div class="grid-x align-center"><section class="alert-messages"></section></div><div data-foundation-target="main" id="main"><section class="content"><a class="back-to-issue hide-for-large hide-for-print" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i104"><div class="grid-x align-top"><div class="cell small-1 text-right"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="11.876" height="22.339" viewBox="0 0 11.876 22.339" class="icon"> <path id="backward_icon" data-name="backward icon" d="M2008,4372l10.816,10.816L2008,4393.632" transform="translate(2019.523 4393.985) rotate(180)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-width="1"></path> </svg> </div><div class="cell small-5"><h1>Back to issue</h1></div><div class="cell small-6 text-right"><div class="back-to-issue__name">I/104<span class="divider">•</span>July/Aug 1977</div></div></div></a><div class="show-for-print text-center">NLR I/104, July–August 1977</div><div class="grid-x"><div class="cell large-9"><article class="article article--summary article--article" data-articles-article-type-value="article" data-controller="articles" id="article_185" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/ScholarlyArticle"><meta content="The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism" itemprop="name" /><meta content="Robert Brenner" itemprop="author" /><span itemprop="publisher" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Organization"><meta content="New Left Review" itemprop="name" /></span><span itemprop="isPartOf" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Periodical"><meta content="New Left Review" itemprop="name" /></span><div class="grid-x"><div class="cell small-6"><div class="article-publication-details"><span class="issue-breadcrumb show-for-medium"><span class="article-issue" itemprop="isPartOf" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/PublicationIssue"></span><span class="article-publication-details__issue_number">I/104</span><time datetime="1977-08-01" itemprop="datePublished">, July Aug 1977 </time><meta content="25" itemprop="pageStart" /><meta content="92" itemprop="pageEnd" /><meta content="https://newleftreview.org/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTkvMDMvMDkvN2NxOTE3cms5MF9OTFIxMDEuanBnIl1d?sha=2e9cecf242539237" itemprop="image" /></span></div></div></div><div class="article-page"><p class="article-authors">Robert Brenner</p><h1 class="article-title" itemprop="headline">The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism</h1><div class="article-exporters hide-for-large hide-for-print"><h1>Share</h1><div class="grid-x article-exporters__links align-middle"><div class="cell small-3"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://newleftreview.org/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="9.898" height="18.621" viewBox="0 0 9.898 18.621" class="icon"> <g id="facebook_icon" data-name="Facebook icon" transform="translate(-288.867 -413.325)"> <path d="M298.117,423.72l.513-3.345h-3.21V418.2a1.672,1.672,0,0,1,1.886-1.807h1.459v-2.847a17.808,17.808,0,0,0-2.59-.226c-2.643,0-4.371,1.6-4.371,4.5v2.548h-2.938v3.345H291.8V431.8a11.657,11.657,0,0,0,3.616,0V423.72Z"></path> </g> </svg> </a></div><div class="cell small-3"><a href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977&url=https://newleftreview.org/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism&via=newleftreview"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="17.405" height="14.145" viewBox="0 0 17.405 14.145" class="icon"> <g id="twitter_icon" data-name="Twitter icon" transform="translate(-300.588 -415.493)"> <path d="M306.062,429.638a10.091,10.091,0,0,0,10.16-10.16c0-.155,0-.31-.01-.462a7.286,7.286,0,0,0,1.781-1.849,7.132,7.132,0,0,1-2.051.561,3.581,3.581,0,0,0,1.57-1.975,7.154,7.154,0,0,1-2.266.866,3.575,3.575,0,0,0-6.086,3.257,10.136,10.136,0,0,1-7.36-3.731,3.574,3.574,0,0,0,1.106,4.768,3.553,3.553,0,0,1-1.617-.446v.044a3.573,3.573,0,0,0,2.865,3.5,3.55,3.55,0,0,1-1.613.061,3.575,3.575,0,0,0,3.336,2.481,7.162,7.162,0,0,1-4.434,1.528,7.248,7.248,0,0,1-.853-.05,10.112,10.112,0,0,0,5.474,1.6" transform="translate(0 0)"></path> </g> </svg> </a></div><div class="cell small-3"><a href="mailto:?body=%E2%80%9C%E2%80%9D%0D%0A%0D%0ARobert%20Brenner%20in%20NLR%20I%2F104%2C%20July%E2%80%93August%201977%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fnewleftreview.org%2Fissues%2Fi104%2Farticles%2Frobert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism&subject=Robert%20Brenner%2C%20The%20Origins%20of%20Capitalist%20Development%3A%20A%20Critique%20of%20Neo-Smithian%20Marxism%2C%20NLR%20I%2F104%2C%20July%E2%80%93August%201977"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16.813" height="14.672" viewBox="0 0 16.813 14.672" class="icon"> <g id="email_icon" data-name="email icon" transform="translate(-97.143 -2768.95)"> <g transform="translate(-224.867 2355.675)"> <rect width="15.139" height="12.999" rx="0.709" transform="translate(322.847 414.111)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke-width="1.674"></rect> <path d="M337.85,414.394l-6.924,6.99a.777.777,0,0,1-1.019,0l-6.924-6.99" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke-width="1.674"></path> </g> </g> </svg> </a></div><div class="cell small-3"><a class="anchor-link" href="#access-options"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20.277" height="17.444" viewBox="0 0 20.277 17.444" class="icon"> <g id="download_icon" data-name="download icon" transform="translate(-116.848 -2769.409)"> <path d="M361.371,419.7l-8.866,8.948a.991.991,0,0,1-1.3,0l-8.865-8.948" transform="translate(-224.867 2357.014)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke-width="1.75"></path> <line y2="17.152" transform="translate(126.987 2769.409)" fill="none" stroke="currentcolor" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke-width="1.75"></line> </g> </svg> </a></div></div></div><div class="article-body-wrapper"><div class="article-body"><p class="body_text"><span class="dropcap" data-articles-target="dropcap">T</span><span class="small-caps first-words">he appearance of</span> systematic barriers to economic advance in the course of capitalist expansion—the ‘development of underdevelopment’—has posed difficult problems for Marxist theory.<a href="#note-%EF%BC%8A" data-articles-link-param="#note-*" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-*"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>*</sup></a> There has arisen, in response, a strong tendency sharply to revise Marx’s conceptions regarding economic development. In part, this has been a healthy reaction to the Marx of the <em>Manifesto</em>, who envisioned a more or less direct and inevitable process of capitalist expansion: undermining old modes of production, replacing them with capitalist social productive relations and, on this basis, setting off a process of capital accumulation and economic development more or less following the pattern of the original homelands of capitalism. In the famous phrases of the <em>Communist Manifesto</em>: ‘The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in an altered form was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all<pb n="26"></pb> social conditions, everlasting uncertainty, and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. The bourgeoisie . . . draw all, even the most barbarian nations into civilization. The cheap prices of its commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls . . . It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce what it calls civilization into their midst, to become bourgeois themselves. In a word, <em>it creates a world after its own image</em>.’</p><p class="body_text">Many writers have quite properly pointed out that historical developments since the mid-nineteenth century have tended to belie this ‘optimistic’, ‘progressist’ prognosis, in that the capitalist penetration of the ‘third world’ through trade and capital investment not only has failed to carry with it capitalist economic development, but has erected positive barriers to such development. Yet the question remains, where did Marx err? What was the theoretical basis for his incorrect expectations? As can be seen from the above quotation and many others from the same period,<a href="#note-1" data-articles-link-param="#note-1" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-1"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>1</sup></a> Marx was at first quite confident that capitalist economic expansion, through trade and investment, would inevitably bring with it the transformation of pre-capitalist social-productive relations—i.e. class relations—and the establishment of capitalist social-productive relations, a <em>capitalist class structure</em>. It was clearly on the premise that capitalist expansion would lead to the establishment of capitalist social relations of production on the ruins of the old modes, that he could predict world-wide economic development in a capitalist image.</p><p class="body_text">But, suppose capitalist expansion through trade and investment failed to break the old modes of production (a possibility which Marx later envisaged<a href="#note-2" data-articles-link-param="#note-2" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-2"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>2</sup></a>); or actually tended to strengthen the old modes, or to erect other non-capitalist systems of social relations of production in place of the old modes? In this case, Marx’s prediction would fall to the ground. For whatever Marx thought about the origins of capitalist social-productive relations, he was quite clear that their establishment was indispensable for the development of the productive forces, i.e. for capitalist economic development. If expansion through trade and investment did not bring with it the transition to capitalist social-productive relations—manifested in the full emergence of labour power as a commodity—there could be no capital accumulation on an extended<pb n="27"></pb> scale. In consequence, the analysis of capitalist economic development requires an understanding, in the first place, of the manner in which the capitalist social-productive relations underpinning the accumulation of capital on an extended scale originated. In turn, it demands a comprehension of the way in which the various processes of capitalist expansion set off by the accumulation of capital brought about, or were accompanied by, alternatively: 1. the further erection of capitalist class relations; 2. merely the interconnection of capitalist with pre-capitalist forms, and indeed the strengthening of the latter; or 3. the transformation of pre-capitalist class relations, but without their substitution by fully capitalist social-productive relations of free wage labour, in which labour power is a commodity. In every case, it is class relations which clearly become pivotal: the question of their transformation in relationship to economic development.</p><p class="body_text">I shall argue here that the <em>method</em> of an entire line of writers in the Marxist tradition has led them to displace class relations from the centre of their analyses of economic development and underdevelopment. It has been their intention to negate the optimistic model of economic advance derived from Adam Smith, whereby the development of trade and the division of labour unfailingly bring about economic development. Because they have failed, however, to discard the underlying individualistic-mechanist presuppositions of this model, they have ended up by erecting an alternative theory of capitalist development which is, in its central aspects, the mirror image of the ‘progressist’ thesis they wish to surpass. Thus, very much like those they criticize, they conceive of (changing) class relations as emerging more or less directly from the (changing) requirements for the generation of surplus and development of production, under the pressures and opportunities engendered by a growing world market. Only, whereas their opponents tend to see such market-determined processes as setting off, automatically, a dynamic of economic development, they see them as enforcing the rise of economic backwardness. As a result, they fail to take into account either the way in which class structures, once established, will in fact determine the course of economic development or underdevelopment over an entire epoch, or the way in which these class structures themselves emerge: as the outcome of class struggles whose results are incomprehensible in terms merely of market forces. In consequence, they move too quickly from the proposition that capitalism is bound up with, and supportive of, continuing underdevelopment in large parts of the world, to the conclusion not only that the rise of underdevelopment is inherent in the extension of the world division of labour through capitalist expansion, but also that the ‘development of underdevelopment’ is an indispensable condition for capitalist development itself.</p><p class="body_text">It has thus been maintained that the very same mechanisms which set off underdevelopment in the ‘periphery’ are prerequisite to capital accumulation in the ‘core’. Capitalist development cannot take place in the core unless underdevelopment is developed in the periphery, because<pb n="28"></pb> the very mechanisms which determine underdevelopment are required for capitalist accumulation. In the words of André Gunder Frank, ‘economic development and underdevelopment are the opposite faces of the same coin’. As Frank goes on to explain: ‘Both [development and underdevelopment] are the necessary result and contemporary manifestation of internal contradictions in the world capitalist system . . . economic development and underdevelopment are relational and qualitative, in that each is actually different from, yet caused by its relations with, the other. Yet development and underdevelopment are the same in that they are the product of a single, but dialectically contradictory, economic structure and process of capitalism. Thus they cannot be viewed as the product of supposedly different economic structures or systems . . . One and the same historical process of the expansion and development of capitalism throughout the world has simultaneously generated—and continues to generate—both economic development and structural underdevelopment.’<a href="#note-3" data-articles-link-param="#note-3" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-3"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>3</sup></a> Specifically: ‘The metropolis expropriates economic surplus from its satellites and appropriates it for its own economic development. The satellites remain underdeveloped for lack of access to their own surplus and as a consequence of the same polarization and exploitative contradictions which the metropolis <em>introduces</em> and <em>maintains</em> in the satellite’s domestic structure.’<a href="#note-4" data-articles-link-param="#note-4" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-4"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>4</sup></a></p><p class="body_text">Obviously such a view of underdevelopment carries with it a view of development, the unitary process which ostensibly brought about both. Frank’s primary focus has in fact been on the roots of underdevelopment, so it has not been essential for him to go into great detail concerning the origins and structure of capitalist development itself. Yet, to clarify his approach, it was necessary to lay out the mainsprings of capitalist development, as well as underdevelopment; accordingly, Frank did not neglect to do this, at least in broad outline. The roots of capitalist evolution, he said, were to be found in the rise of a world ‘commercial network’, developing into a ‘mercantile capitalist system’. Thus ‘a commercial network spread out from Italian cities such as Venice and later Iberian and Northwestern European towns to incorporate the Mediterranean world and sub-Saharan Africa and the adjacent Atlantic Islands in the fifteenth century . . . until the entire face of the globe had been incorporated into a <em>single organic</em> mercantilist or mercantile capitalist, and later also industrial and financial, system, whose metropolitan centre developed in Western Europe and then in North America and whose peripheral satellites underdeveloped on all the remaining continents.’<a href="#note-5" data-articles-link-param="#note-5" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-5"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>5</sup></a> With the rise of this system, there was ‘created a whole series of metropolis-satellite relationships, interlinked as in the surplus appropriation chain noted above’. As the ‘core’ end of the chain developed, the ‘peripheral’ end simultaneously underdeveloped.</p><p class="body_text">Frank did not go much further than this in filling out his view of capitalism as a whole, its origins and development. But he was unambiguous in locating the dynamic of capitalist expansion in the rise of<pb n="29"></pb> a world commercial network, while specifying the roots of both growth and backwardness in the ‘surplus appropriation chain’ which emerged in the expansionary process:<a href="#note-6" data-articles-link-param="#note-6" data-action="click->articles#scrollToElement:prevent" class="article-body__note-ref" id="reference-6"><span class="show-for-sr">footnote</span><sup>6</sup></a> surplus appropriation by the core from the periphery, and the organization of the satellite’s internal mode of production to serve the needs of the metropolis. In this way, Frank set the stage for ceasing to locate the dynamic of capitalist development in a self-expanding process of capital accumulation by way of innovation in the core itself. Thus, for Frank, the accumulation of capital in the core depends, on the one hand, upon a process of original surplus creation in the periphery and surplus transfer to the core and, on the other hand, upon the imposition of a raw-material-producing, export-dependent economy upon the periphery to fit the productive and consumptive requirements of the core.</p></div></div><div class="promo-wrapper grid-y" id="access-options"><div class="article-page__teaser-overlay"></div><div class="promo"><div class="promo__content cell sign-in bg-colour-issue-web-bg"><div class="promo__body"><form class="simple_form simple-form session" data-controller="parsley" novalidate="novalidate" action="/session" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="post"><input type="hidden" name="authenticity_token" value="NLWtIPQwmf-HMYxJP43oRreuRbiSukzidO1jKyqYp9WineKid5LDGdpK7yX8kDxClNMp_P7m5WEXfNpaALipQg" autocomplete="off" /><div class="input hidden session_return_to"><input value="/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism" class="hidden" autocomplete="off" type="hidden" name="session[return_to]" id="session_return_to" /></div><div class="text-field"><div class="input email required session_email"><label class="email required" for="session_email">Email <abbr title="you must complete this field">(required)</abbr></label><input class="string email required" required="required" aria-required="true" type="email" name="session[email]" id="session_email" /></div></div><div class="password-field"><div class="input password required session_password"><label class="password required" for="session_password">Password <abbr title="you must complete this field">(required)</abbr></label><input class="password required" required="required" aria-required="true" type="password" name="session[password]" id="session_password" /></div></div><div class="grid-x"><div class="cell small-6"><input type="submit" name="commit" value="Log in" class="button primary" data-disable-with="Log in" /></div><ul class="other-links cell small-6 text-right"><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/sign_up">Create an account</a></li> <li><a data-turbo="true" href="/passwords/new">Forgot your password?</a></li></ul></div></form></div></div></div><div class="promo"><div class="promo__content cell subscription-promo bg-colour-issue-n"><a class="promo__text" data-turbo="true" href="/subscriptions/new">Subscribe for instant access to all articles since 1960 </a></div></div><div class="promo"><div class="promo__content cell buy-issue-promo bg-colour-issue-l"><a class="promo__text" data-turbo="true" href="/order/issue/new?sku=issue_101">Buy the print issue (with instant online access) for £10 </a></div></div><div class="promo"><div class="promo__content cell buy-online-article-promo bg-colour-issue-r"><a class="promo__text" data-turbo="true" href="/order/article/new?sku=article_185">Buy this article for £3 </a></div></div><div class="promo"><div class="promo__content cell help-promo bg-colour-issue-bg"><a data-turbo="true" href="/access_diagnostics/new"><div class="promo__text">Shouldn't I have access to this article via my library?</div></a></div></div></div></div></article></div><div class="cell small-12 large-3 hide-for-print"><div class="sidebar"><div class="sidebar__list show-for-large"><h1>Back to issue</h1><a data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i104">I/104<span class="divider">•</span>July/Aug 1977</a></div><div class="sidebar__list show-for-large"><h1>Share</h1><ul class="article-exporters"><li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://newleftreview.org/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="http://twitter.com/share?text=Robert Brenner, The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithian Marxism, NLR I/104, July–August 1977&url=https://newleftreview.org/issues/i104/articles/robert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism&via=newleftreview">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="mailto:?body=%E2%80%9C%E2%80%9D%0D%0A%0D%0ARobert%20Brenner%20in%20NLR%20I%2F104%2C%20July%E2%80%93August%201977%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fnewleftreview.org%2Fissues%2Fi104%2Farticles%2Frobert-brenner-the-origins-of-capitalist-development-a-critique-of-neo-smithian-marxism&subject=Robert%20Brenner%2C%20The%20Origins%20of%20Capitalist%20Development%3A%20A%20Critique%20of%20Neo-Smithian%20Marxism%2C%20NLR%20I%2F104%2C%20July%E2%80%93August%201977">Email</a></li><li><a class="anchor-link" href="#access-options">Download PDF</a></li></ul></div><div class="sidebar__list"><h1>By this author</h1><ul class="article-list by-same-author"><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/ii138/articles/dylan-riley-robert-brenner-seven-theses-on-american-politics">‘Seven Theses on American Politics’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/ii123/articles/robert-brenner-escalating-plunder">‘Escalating Plunder’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/ii43/articles/robert-brenner-structure-vs-conjuncture">‘Structure vs Conjuncture’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/ii25/articles/robert-brenner-new-boom-or-new-bubble">‘New Boom or New Bubble?’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/ii6/articles/robert-brenner-the-boom-and-the-bubble">‘The Boom and the Bubble’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i229/articles/robert-brenner-the-economics-of-global-turbulence-special-issue">‘The Economics of Global Turbulence (Special Issue)’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i188/articles/robert-brenner-mark-glick-the-regulation-approach-theory-and-history">‘The Regulation Approach: Theory and History’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i185/articles/robert-brenner-why-is-the-united-states-at-war-with-iraq">‘Why is the United States at War with Iraq?’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i108/articles/robert-brenner-reply-to-sweezy">‘Reply to Sweezy’ </a></li></ul></div><div class="sidebar__list"><h1>Related articles</h1><ul class="article-list related-by-subject"><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i108/articles/robert-brenner-reply-to-sweezy">Robert Brenner, ‘Reply to Sweezy’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i109/articles/ben-fine-on-the-origins-of-capitalist-development">Ben Fine, ‘On the Origins of Capitalist Development’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i108/articles/paul-sweezy-comment-on-brenner">Paul Sweezy, ‘Comment on Brenner’ </a></li><li class="related-article-item"><a class="related-article-link" data-turbo="true" href="/issues/i207/articles/alex-callinicos-england-s-transition-to-capitalism">Alex Callinicos, ‘England’s Transition to Capitalism’ </a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></section></div></div><footer class="hide-for-print" id="site-footer"><div class="grid-x grid-margin-x"><div class="cell small-6 large-3"><div class="bordered"><ul class="menu vertical"><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/about">About</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/history">History</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/newsletter_signup/new">Newsletter</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/donations/new">Support</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="cell small-6 large-3"><div class="bordered"><ul class="menu vertical"><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/contact">Contact</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/submissions">Submissions</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/privacy">Privacy</a></li><li><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/accessibility">Accessibility</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="cell small-6 large-3"><div class="bordered"><h1>Follow us</h1><ul class="menu vertical"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/NewLeftReview">Twitter</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/newleftreview">Facebook</a></li><li><a href="/feed">RSS</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="cell small-6 large-3"><div class="bordered"><address><a data-turbo="true" href="/pages/contact">New Left Review <br> 6 Meard Street, London W1F 0EG United Kingdom <br> +44 (0)20 7734 8830</a></address></div></div></div><div class="copyright">© New Left Review Ltd 2024 </div></footer></body></html>