Capitalism: Ideology or Human Condition?

Capitalism is often theorised as a later stage in human existence. Its historical origins are traced and presented as an outgrowth of civilisation, rather than as an essential aspect of human life itself. In reality, however, it evolved alongside civilisation from its very beginnings, when human beings first ceased to be merely subjects of nature and began to exercise some control over it. This became possible because of the unique biological capacities of human beings: a thinking mind and the extraordinary utility of their hands.

The moment human beings began striving for more than mere subsistence, they were already anticipating capitalism. When they domesticated animals, cultivated crops, harnessed fire, devised methods of channelling water, transported goods with the wheel, and increased mobility through the use of animals and carts, they created systems of production that generated surplus. From there emerged the need for exchange, storage, preservation, and accumulation.

Capital, therefore, has prehistoric origins and constitutes an unavoidable part of civilised life, even though the term itself was coined in modern times. Capitalism became dominant only when trade expanded in scale and production ceased to remain merely household-based or localised for immediate consumption.

Tragically, imaginative yet resentful theorists portrayed capitalism as a late and aberrational phenomenon. More tragically still, many accepted this view unquestioningly. In doing so, they disrupted human progress and strengthened forces hostile to human flourishing.

Popular dictionaries and textbooks commonly define capitalism as the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. Such definitions crudely portray private ownership as though it were unique to the modern age, and the profit motive as though it were a moral perversion that emerged only a few centuries ago. This is intellectual absurdity masquerading as epistemology. It is not a definition so much as an ideological position, one that diminishes human sagacity, agency, and the civilizational impulse itself.

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Humanism and Its Manifestations

Humanism is the crux of modernism, or of the modern age. It is the centrality of the human person in human imagination. The grand ideas which the postmodernists contested may or may not be the essential aspect of modernism; they could have been facilitated by modern epistemology. It is another matter that postmodernists contested the very idea of essence itself.

The point I made earlier is what I am repeating here. Humanism manifests itself as liberalism in the domain of knowledge, as democracy in political affairs, and as capitalism in the economic sphere.

I anchor liberalism here in the idea of liberty, which I see as a mutual agreement on conditions that enable human beings to realise their humanity. In other words, it is a social contract wherein every order recognises the autonomy of individual human beings and constrains and disallows any person or group from violating it. In logical progression, democracy is the demand for the consent of such autonomous human beings in conducting collective affairs, which again are meant to ensure the autonomy of each of them. Capitalism, in that sequence, is not about capital being the centre of an order. Capital is only the lifeblood of such an order. The crux lies in the ownership of human beings over their persons and possessions, and their ability to conduct their businesses with utmost ease.

Humanism is the way humanity should follow.

Niraj Kumar Jha

The Age of Empires

It is bewildering that a pre–World War world of power blocs and imperial instincts is returning in the twenty-first century, the very age in which human beings have taught machines to think and even write poetry. Many assume this is capitalism in full bloom. The truth is the opposite. What we are seeing is capitalism under subversion, hollowed out by forces that reject the modern idea that human beings, not empires or myths, are the centre of the world. 

Modernism was never just technology. It was the belief that human dignity, choice, and reason should govern society. That is why it expressed itself as liberalism in thought, democracy in politics, and capitalism in the economy. When that humanist core is weakened, these institutions remain, but they begin to serve domination rather than freedom.

Human existence does not offer infinite paths. Either we defend the worth of the human being and, with it, internationalism and democracy, or we will drift back into a world of empires at the top and feudalism below, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Niraj Kumar Jha

Capitalism and Inequality

Inequality as such is there in every walk of life. Too many kids aspire to play cricket for India, but only one or two enter the national team in a year. An impoverished and deprived community may have high inequality among their members. Even the non-existence of private property is not a guarantee of equality anyway. Capitalism also causes inequality but, at the same time, it prevents poverty and deprivation in society. Equality in deprivation is a dehumanising condition.

If a capitalist order produces disproportionate inequality, it means that the market is not free enough, and competitiveness is compromised there.

The solution to capitalist problems is more capitalism.

NIraj Kumar Jha

Self-defeating Intellectualism

Most of the intellectualism is still smitten by the genetic call of primitivism. I heard a so recognised leading public intellectual of the country saying in a podcast that capitalism is only about maximising profits and possessions. I was aghast to witness such a celebrated mind being so regressive. He forgot that capitalism is only liberalism but viewed from an economic angle. It is primarily about an individual's autonomy and dignity and doing things in a rational way. It is a combination of humanism and rationalism.

I know the intellectual's personal background. He is married into a rich business family and with such an abundance of moolah at his disposal he can relishingly philosophise.

It is capitalism which makes people afford the luxuries of other higher values. Alternatively, human folks can only avail jungle, where they struggle for their position in the food chain and negotiate with the elements to survive. A jungle may grow without trees in any human habitation. If you do not believe, cross India's borders in any direction.

Ancient India, a glorious state of the human race, ran its affairs till the Guptas, more or less, on the same principles as per the times that the West discovered very late as capitalism. Kautilyan schema was a case of well-regulated capitalism. An elaborate bureaucratic administration, which very late Weber identified as the form of the modern organisation, existed then. Mathematical feats of our ancients and an economy running on cash testify to the capitalistic order being the economy then.

Niraj Kumar Jha

Humanism and Capitalism

Humanism and capitalism are the two components of the same thing. The collective and mutual agreement on preserving an individual's person, possessions, and legitimate pursuits underlies the humanism and capitalism combination. To an ordinary person, it translates into fulfilment and civility. Kudos to you for sharing this absolute wisdom. The wisdom descended on the European people over millennia of struggles and discourses. 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Capitalism and its Self-corrective Mechanisms

The secularisation or rationalisation of thinking and doing caused capitalism in the Western world. Capitalism was the high point of civilization advance in the West, prior to which they held buccaneering as business and witch-hunting as a game.

Capitalism involves the economy, i.e. the human endeavour for sustaining life, and it is the method which optimises all component processes of economic activities in efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

Capitalism as such calibrates the whole way of life to rationalised order.  As an appropriate process of doing things, it leads to the build-up of self-corrective mechanisms in the order. These mechanisms are periodic and systematic in nature. Capitalism causes the economy to flow and ebb and in times of ebbing it eliminates the irrelevant and inefficient ventures and restores the whole economy and thus society to vitality. 

And, there are systemic corrective mechanisms. It is capitalism which led to the evolution of formal and substantial democracy in the world. It was about ensuring a social order in which everyone is safe and there is no unhealthy concentration of power and wealth. Ultimately, too much concentration of power and wealth obstructs the capitalist way. 

Simultaneously, it allows the counter-views and world views to germinate and flourish. It is no wonder that Marx and all the propounders of anti-capitalism live and articulate their thoughts in the Western world. It also allows religions to prevail. This makes them ever conscious of the different dimensions of life, whether rational or emotional. This is meant to check the mechanism or the order from overwhelming life itself. Again, if that happens, that would deprive capitalism of its purpose, i.e dignified and comfortable life for the people. 

Less-evolved civilizations and societies lapped up for what the West had as corrective mechanisms. They adopted the means of handling the distress caused by the economic ebb as the permanent economic policy and corrective thoughts and activism as the order. They mistook medication as a way of living. 

Capitalism needs a proper appreciation. 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Capitalism and Democracy

I reiterate, as I find it necessary to do, that democracy is a by-product of capitalism. It was when capital (money) became the lifeblood of social relations, the people rose to the state of autonomy and dignity, which define human worth during modern times. It evolved out of the discovery of man and his mind that led people to the order of capital, and the resultant autonomy of human beings furthered the rise of democracy over time.

This is the European story. In India, the spirit of human freedom is rather ancient. The invisible hands, which work behind the free market, appeared very early in India, and the ancient pioneers made it even better by curating it as per the standards of Dharma. India prospered, celebrated life, and included all in the festivities. North India, which faced decline earlier than South and consequent subjugation, saw its high time during the reign of the Guptas. The Guptas minted the largest number of gold coins in Indian history.

The present dismay of the democratic world on the democratic decline is ironic. The greater number of literati positioned themselves in opposition to neoliberalism. They held neoliberalism responsible for every conceivable ill, and never realised that neoliberalism manifested the invisible agency of humanity, which had caused the tearing down of walls, very literally, beginning from Berlin, which held humans and their soul captive to the whims of a few. The process was bringing the world together, promising peace and common prosperity but the entrenched forces closed their ranks and sabotaged it. Now, the literati, who parroted the concerns of powers that be, in their success lament the very outcome of their endeavour.

I pray.

Niraj Kumar Jha

The Capital

The economy deserves the most meticulous and methodical approach in its management. Any sort of adventurism is going to be counter productive. In this context we must know of a couple of the cardinal principles of political economy. First is that the capital must be our sovereign master. It must have smoothest possible run. It must be least burdened with the taxes and be facilitated in the best possible way. Secondly, all citizens must be unrestrained to participate in the capitalist system as stakeholders. In this backdrop we must note that the taxes on the capital is never paid by the capitalists; they are simply passed on to the end users of services and products but in the process the taxes only constrain the capital from working in proportion to its potential. Secondly, welfarism is needed exactly because the capitalism is not allowed to have its free run. My take on the crisis of 1929 is that it was not a capitalist crisis but was the failure of economic management.

- Niraj Kumar Jha

Capitalism

Capitalism is a name (as a term and specific conceptual category) because it emerged as a novelty in Europe following the Reformation and the Renaissance. Even at its earlier stage, they couldn’t differentiate between plunder, piracy, human trafficking and trade. The fact is that there is nothing Western about capitalism. Both market and capitalism are very natural outgrowth of human agency. Capitalism has ever existed in more civilized regions of the world and naturally without a name. 

NKJ

End of Evolution

Market economy is the end of the evolution of the Homo Sapiens. For a better paradigm, we will have to mutate into some other species. Though the model has yet to unfold fully, the humanity is at its best today. Certain people do oppose the model but that's only owing to the historical trap. Inputs of primitivism and medievalism in the genetic coding of many persons are disproportionate.

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Capitalism

Substantive freedom manifests itself as capitalism. Capitalism translates into democracy in the realm of politics. In Marxian terminology, capitalism is the base and democracy is the superstructure of freedom edifice. 
                                                             
                                                                              - Niraj Kumar Jha