The Sublation of Capital
A Hegelian dialectical account of capital — its genesis from labor and commodity through money, fiat, and currency; an analysis of accumulation as surplus and siphon; and the path toward universal revolution.
The Sublation Tree , Diagram
click a section heading · or click any sublated node
The Genesis of Capital , § I
Labor · Commodity → Money
method · time | material · place
Real labor produces commodity with use-value. Commodity exchange generates the relative value of the associated labor. Exchanging labor for commodities incentivizes exchanging toward a more universally exchanged commodity. As commodity exchange tends toward a universal exchange commodity, this commodity approaches the character of money. Thus labor and commodity sublate into money.
Power · Law → Fiat
instrument · energy | authority · order
State power enforces law with physical coercion. Law dispute resolves the competing coercion within the associated power. Enforcing law with power incentivizes enforcing toward more universally enforced law. As law enforcement tends toward a universal enforcement law, this law approaches the character of fiat. Thus power and law sublate into fiat.
Money · Fiat → Currency
Labor · Commodity | Power · Law
Universal money may be exchanged for coercive enforcement of fiat. Fiat may coercively enforce the exchange of money. Enforcing the exchange of money incentivizes exchanging money toward a more universal coercive enforcement of fiat. As exchange of money tends toward a more universal enforcement of fiat, the character of this fiat approaches currency. Thus money and fiat sublate into currency.
Currency · Accumulation → Capital
money · fiat | surplus · siphon
Saved currency forms an accumulation of value. Accumulation of value is facilitated through investing currency. Accumulating value by investing currency incentivizes accumulating value towards a more universal value accumulation. As accumulation tends toward a universal value accumulation, this accumulation approaches the character of capital. Thus currency and accumulation sublate into capital.
Capital is the relationship between currency and its accumulation. Its social dimension presents as a class struggle; its ecological dimension presents as a metabolic rift. These harms arise from within accumulation.
An Analysis of Accumulation , § II
Surplus · Siphon → Accumulation
access · need | source · rate
Surplus value may be siphoned. Siphoned value forms a surplus. Siphoning surplus value incentivizes siphoning towards a more universally siphoned surplus. As siphoning tends toward a universally siphoned surplus, this siphon approaches the character of accumulation. Thus surplus and siphon sublate into accumulation.
Access · Need → Surplus
open · closed | ideal · real
Access and need sublate into surplus.
Source · Rate → Siphon
internal · external | amplitude · frequency
Source and rate sublate into siphon.
Accumulation to/from closed access surpluses by use of externally sourced siphons drives inequality and degradation. Only accumulation to/from open access surpluses by use of internally sourced siphons is sustainable.
A Universal Revolution , § III
Capital · Society → Revolution
Currency · Accumulation | Institutions · Reformation
Capital unites Society around a value system. Society organizes capital for the accumulation of value. Organizing capital with society incentivizes organizing toward a more universal capital organization. As societal organization tends toward a universal capital organization, that organization approaches the character of revolution. Thus capital and society sublate into revolution.
Revolution rests on social institutions and reforms to organize capital into sustainable accumulation of currency.