RSO LITERATURE SUMMARY
WEEK 1: THE AGRARIAN QUESTION
1. BANAJI: 'SUMMARY OF SELECTED PARTS OF KAUTSKY'S 'THE AGRARIAN QUESTION''
SKIP = SKIP SKIP = = SKIP = Kautksy
THE PEASANT QUESTION
2. BERNSTEIN: 'POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AGRARIAN CHANGE: SOME KEY CONCEPTS AND QUESTIONS'
Author discusses 4 themes SKIP = (the SKIP = first SKIP = three SKIP = themes SKIP = feed SKIP = into SKIP = the SKIP = fourth) SKIP =
Theme 1: The agrarian origins of capitalism. There SKIP = remains SKIP = sharp SKIP = disagreement SKIP = within SKIP = political SKIP = economy SKIP = concerning
the SKIP = origins SKIP = and SKIP = early SKIP = development SKIP = of SKIP = capitalism, SKIP = which SKIP = can SKIP = be SKIP = classified SKIP = in SKIP = terms SKIP = of SKIP = two SKIP = opposing SKIP = kinds SKIP = of
arguments. SKIP =
1. ‘Transition from feudalism to capitalism’, SKIP = explains SKIP = the SKIP = emergence SKIP = of SKIP = capitalism SKIP = thought SKIP = changes SKIP = in SKIP = relations
and SKIP = dynamics SKIP = of SKIP = farming SKIP = in SKIP = Western SKIP = Europe SKIP = (16-17 th SKIP = centuries) SKIP = with SKIP = agrarian SKIP = capitalism SKIP = laying SKIP = the
foundation SKIP = for SKIP = subsequent SKIP = capitalist SKIP = industrialization. SKIP =
2. Capitalism could only emerge through the ‘world- historical’ formation of an international economy, (first
centered SKIP = on SKIP = the SKIP = Atlantic SKIP = world), SKIP = from SKIP = 16th SKIP = century SKIP = onwards. SKIP = The SKIP = dynamic SKIP = of SKIP = that SKIP = emergent SKIP = world SKIP = economy,
to SKIP = which SKIP = European SKIP = colonization SKIP = was SKIP = central, SKIP = was SKIP = to SKIP = provide SKIP = the SKIP = sources SKIP = of SKIP = capital SKIP = accumulation SKIP = (or
‘primitive SKIP = accumulation’) SKIP = in SKIP = Europe.
Theme 2: The distinction between farming and agriculture generated by capitalism. ‘Farming’ SKIP = and SKIP = ‘agriculture’ SKIP = are
often SKIP = used SKIP = as SKIP = synonyms. SKIP = I SKIP = propose SKIP = that SKIP = there SKIP = is SKIP = a SKIP = distinction.
Farming SKIP = is SKIP = what SKIP = farmers SKIP = do SKIP = and SKIP = have SKIP = always SKIP = done, SKIP = although SKIP = in SKIP = an SKIP = immense SKIP = variety SKIP = of SKIP = social, SKIP = ecological SKIP = and
technical SKIP = conditions. SKIP = Before SKIP = the SKIP = beginning SKIP = of SKIP = capitalism SKIP = farming SKIP = was SKIP = what SKIP = most SKIP = people SKIP = did, SKIP = and SKIP = did SKIP = on SKIP = very
local SKIP = scales.
By SKIP = ‘agriculture’ SKIP = in SKIP = modern SKIP = (capitalist) SKIP = economies, SKIP = refers SKIP = to SKIP = farming SKIP = together with all SKIP = those SKIP = economic
interests, SKIP = and SKIP = their SKIP = specialized SKIP = institutions SKIP = and SKIP = practices, SKIP = ‘upstream’ SKIP = and SKIP = ‘downstream SKIP = of SKIP = farming’ SKIP = that SKIP = affect
the SKIP = activities SKIP = and SKIP = reproduction SKIP = of SKIP = farmers. SKIP =
o The SKIP = notion SKIP = of SKIP = ‘agriculture’ in SKIP = the SKIP = social SKIP = division SKIP = of SKIP = labor, SKIP = and SKIP = as SKIP = an SKIP = object SKIP = of SKIP = policy SKIP = and SKIP = politics SKIP = was
invented SKIP = and SKIP = applied SKIP = in SKIP = the SKIP = development SKIP = of SKIP = capitalism. SKIP =
Theme 3: SKIP = The fate(s) of peasant farmers in the modern world of capitalism. SKIP = Broadly SKIP = speaking SKIP = there SKIP = are SKIP = 2 SKIP = major
perspective. SKIP = One SKIP = is SKIP = populist: SKIP = ‘pro-peasant’, SKIP = ‘pro-farmer’ SKIP = (Chayanov) SKIP = and SKIP = other SKIP = is SKIP = a SKIP = materialist SKIP = political SKIP = economy.
There SKIP = are SKIP = 3 SKIP = issues SKIP = within SKIP = this SKIP = theme:
I. The SKIP = ‘commodification SKIP = of SKIP = subsistence’ SKIP = in SKIP = capitalism
The ‘commodification of subsistence’ in capitalism: SKIP = the SKIP = processes SKIP = through SKIP = which SKIP = ‘peasants’ SKIP = are SKIP = integrated SKIP = in
commodity SKIP = relations SKIP = in SKIP = the SKIP = development SKIP = of SKIP = capitalism, SKIP = and SKIP = through SKIP = which SKIP = they SKIP = have SKIP = to SKIP = reproduce SKIP = themselves.
Populist SKIP = position SKIP = characterize SKIP = peasant SKIP = farming SKIP = as SKIP = a SKIP = distinctive SKIP = form SKIP = of SKIP = ‘subsistence’ SKIP = production SKIP = in SKIP = which
households SKIP = attempt SKIP = to SKIP = retain SKIP = ‘autonomy’, SKIP = or SKIP = control SKIP = over SKIP = their SKIP = own SKIP = reproduction.
II. The SKIP = nature SKIP = of SKIP = agricultural SKIP = petty SKIP = commodity SKIP = production SKIP = in SKIP = capitalism
The ‘commodification of subsistence’ SKIP = leads SKIP = to SKIP = the SKIP = creation SKIP = of SKIP = peasant SKIP = farms SKIP = as SKIP = petty commodity enterprises SKIP = in
capitalism, SKIP = that SKIP = is, SKIP = combining SKIP = capital SKIP = and SKIP = labor. SKIP = They SKIP = need SKIP = to SKIP = reproduce SKIP = both SKIP = their SKIP = means SKIP = of SKIP = production SKIP = (land, SKIP = tools,
seeds, SKIP = livestock, SKIP = etc.) SKIP = as SKIP = capital SKIP = and SKIP = themselves SKIP = as SKIP = labor.
III. Class SKIP = differentiation SKIP = of SKIP = ‘peasants’ SKIP = or SKIP = ‘family SKIP = farmers’
Class differentiation of the peasantry SKIP = (emphasized SKIP = by SKIP = Lenin): SKIP = Marx SKIP = had SKIP = a SKIP = kind SKIP = of SKIP = ‘enclosure’ SKIP = model SKIP = of SKIP = the
development SKIP = of SKIP = capitalist SKIP = agriculture, SKIP = in SKIP = which SKIP = formerly SKIP = peasant SKIP = land SKIP = was SKIP = appropriated SKIP = for SKIP = larger-scale SKIP = capitalist
farming, SKIP = and SKIP = peasants SKIP = thereby SKIP = dispossessed SKIP = became SKIP = a SKIP = major SKIP = component SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = proletariat. SKIP = (poor, SKIP = middle, SKIP = rich
peasant)
Theme 4: SKIP = The fate(s) of the peasantry in capitalism today, SKIP = which SKIP = resonates SKIP = longstanding SKIP = debates SKIP = of SKIP = the
‘disappearance’ SKIP = or SKIP = ‘persistence’ SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = peasantry, SKIP = albeit SKIP = now SKIP = in SKIP = the SKIP = conditions SKIP = of SKIP = contemporary SKIP = ‘globalization’. SKIP = SKIP =
On SKIP = one SKIP = hand, SKIP = there SKIP = is SKIP = wide SKIP = agreement SKIP = about SKIP = the SKIP = declining SKIP = proportions SKIP = of SKIP = ‘peasant’ SKIP = or SKIP = ‘family’ SKIP = farmers SKIP = in SKIP = the
economically SKIP = active SKIP = population SKIP = of SKIP = most SKIP = (or SKIP = all) SKIP = countries
, On SKIP = the SKIP = other SKIP = hand, SKIP = there SKIP = is SKIP = a SKIP = trend SKIP = of SKIP = Repeasantization
‘Peasant’ SKIP = is SKIP = above SKIP = all SKIP = a SKIP = political SKIP = category SKIP = rather SKIP = than SKIP = an SKIP = analytical SKIP = one
Central paradox: SKIP = that SKIP = agrarian SKIP = populism, SKIP = which SKIP = sees SKIP = ‘peasants’ SKIP = or SKIP = ‘people SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = land’ SKIP = as SKIP = ‘capital’s SKIP = other’,
displays SKIP = much SKIP = greater SKIP = ideological SKIP = and SKIP = political SKIP = vitality SKIP = (power SKIP = of SKIP = enduring) SKIP = than SKIP = anything SKIP = associated SKIP = with
materialist SKIP = political SKIP = economy.
, 3. VAN DER PLOEG: PEASANTS AND THE ART OF FARMING. PEASANTS SKIP = AND SKIP = SOCIAL SKIP = TRANSFORMATIONS. A DIVISIVE
ISSUE. SKIP = P1-15
My SKIP = aim SKIP = is SKIP = to SKIP = synthesize SKIP = the SKIP = core SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = Chayanovian SKIP = approach SKIP = and SKIP = link SKIP = it SKIP = to SKIP = current SKIP = issues SKIP = that SKIP = are SKIP = central SKIP = to SKIP = many
new, SKIP = rural SKIP = movements.
Central to the Chayanovian approach is:
The SKIP = observation SKIP = that SKIP = although SKIP = the SKIP = peasant SKIP = unit SKIP = of SKIP = production SKIP = is SKIP = conditioned SKIP = and SKIP = affected SKIP = by SKIP = the SKIP = capitalist
context SKIP = in SKIP = which SKIP = it SKIP = is SKIP = operating, SKIP = it SKIP = is SKIP = not SKIP = directly SKIP = governed SKIP = by SKIP = it. SKIP =
o Instead, SKIP = it SKIP = is SKIP = governed SKIP = through SKIP = a SKIP = set SKIP = of SKIP = balances. SKIP =
o These SKIP = balances SKIP = link SKIP = the SKIP = peasant SKIP = unit, SKIP = its SKIP = operation SKIP = and SKIP = its SKIP = development SKIP = to SKIP = the SKIP = wider SKIP = capitalist
context SKIP = but SKIP = in SKIP = complex SKIP = and SKIP = definitively SKIP = distinctive SKIP = ways. SKIP =
o These SKIP = balances SKIP = are SKIP = ordering SKIP = principles. SKIP =
o They SKIP = shape SKIP = and SKIP = reshape SKIP = the SKIP = way SKIP = fields SKIP = are SKIP = worked
Chayanov SKIP = focused SKIP = on SKIP = two balances SKIP = that SKIP = are SKIP = to SKIP = be SKIP = equilibrated SKIP = within SKIP = each SKIP = peasant SKIP = farm SKIP = in SKIP = a SKIP = way SKIP = that SKIP = is
specific SKIP = to SKIP = that SKIP = farm SKIP = and SKIP = to SKIP = the SKIP = needs SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = peasant SKIP = family SKIP = living SKIP = and SKIP = working SKIP = there
o Balance 1: SKIP = labor SKIP = and SKIP = consumption SKIP =
o Balance 2: SKIP = drudgery SKIP = and SKIP = utility
The art of farming: SKIP = the SKIP = skillful SKIP = coordination SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = interacting SKIP = balances. SKIP = Through SKIP = this SKIP = coordination SKIP = peasant SKIP = farms SKIP = are
turned SKIP = into SKIP = a SKIP = “well SKIP = working SKIP = whole”
Greatly SKIP = depends SKIP = on SKIP = using SKIP = good SKIP = judgment SKIP = to SKIP = assess SKIP = the SKIP = different SKIP = balances.
A SKIP = balance SKIP = is SKIP = a SKIP = regulatory SKIP = device SKIP = (like SKIP = a SKIP = thermostat). SKIP = It SKIP = continuously SKIP = registers SKIP = relevant SKIP = information
(temperature SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = room) SKIP = and SKIP = translates SKIP = this SKIP = into SKIP = appropriate SKIP = responses SKIP = and SKIP = reactions
The SKIP = involved SKIP = actors SKIP = usually SKIP = operate SKIP = rules SKIP = that SKIP = are SKIP = part SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = cultural SKIP = repertoire SKIP = of SKIP = their SKIP = community SKIP = or
professional SKIP = group
Balances SKIP = are SKIP = actor-dependent SKIP = rather SKIP = than SKIP = automated SKIP = devices. SKIP =
The SKIP = operation SKIP = of SKIP = a SKIP = balance SKIP = (that SKIP = is, SKIP = its SKIP = application SKIP = to SKIP = a SKIP = singular SKIP = situation SKIP = in SKIP = order SKIP = to SKIP = generate SKIP = a SKIP = solution)
involves SKIP = actors SKIP = being SKIP = able SKIP = to SKIP = interpret SKIP = rules SKIP = and SKIP = situations SKIP = and SKIP = to SKIP = make SKIP = the SKIP = appropriate SKIP = decisions.
The SKIP = peasantries SKIP = of SKIP = today’s SKIP = world SKIP = are SKIP = multitudes. SKIP =
They SKIP = master SKIP = the SKIP = art SKIP = of SKIP = not SKIP = being SKIP = governed
They SKIP = are SKIP = highly SKIP = heterogeneous
The SKIP = sources SKIP = that SKIP = inspire SKIP = the SKIP = ordering SKIP = of SKIP = their SKIP = labor SKIP = processes SKIP = extend SKIP = far SKIP = beyond SKIP = the SKIP = logic SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = market:
nature, SKIP = society SKIP = and SKIP = cultural SKIP = repertoires SKIP = are SKIP = all SKIP = equally SKIP = important SKIP = ordering SKIP = principles.
They SKIP = resist SKIP = the SKIP = separation SKIP = of SKIP = the SKIP = process SKIP = of SKIP = production SKIP = into SKIP = separate SKIP = tasks, SKIP = just SKIP = as SKIP = they SKIP = redress SKIP = the SKIP = tendency
to SKIP = externalize SKIP = many SKIP = such SKIP = tasks. SKIP =
These SKIP = peasants SKIP = create commons: land SKIP = or SKIP = resources SKIP = belonging SKIP = to SKIP = or SKIP = affecting SKIP = the SKIP = whole SKIP = of SKIP = a SKIP = community. SKIP =
Turn SKIP = out SKIP = to SKIP = be SKIP = highly SKIP = productive SKIP = and SKIP = offer SKIP = a SKIP = potentially SKIP = convincing SKIP = alternative SKIP = to SKIP = corporate SKIP = capital
Interstices: SKIP = the SKIP = places SKIP = where SKIP = antagonisms SKIP = occur.
The SKIP = cracks SKIP = in SKIP = the SKIP = global SKIP = system, SKIP = the SKIP = structural SKIP = holes SKIP = that SKIP = emerge SKIP = as SKIP = a SKIP = result SKIP = of SKIP = massive SKIP = processes SKIP = of
exclusion. SKIP =
They SKIP = are SKIP = the SKIP = voids SKIP = that SKIP = the SKIP = state SKIP = apparatuses SKIP = cannot SKIP = regulate SKIP = through SKIP = their SKIP = institutional SKIP = machinery. SKIP =
Some SKIP = just SKIP = emerge, SKIP = others SKIP = are SKIP = actively SKIP = created
Peasant SKIP = families SKIP = operate SKIP = at SKIP = the SKIP = intersection SKIP = of SKIP = several SKIP = interstices.
Their SKIP = labor SKIP = is SKIP = not SKIP = wage SKIP = labor.
They SKIP = increasingly SKIP = interlink SKIP = with SKIP = others SKIP = creating SKIP = and SKIP = operating SKIP = within SKIP = other SKIP = interstices SKIP = — SKIP = often SKIP = giving SKIP = birth SKIP = to
new SKIP = social SKIP = movements.
Interstices SKIP = are SKIP = places SKIP = of SKIP = permanent SKIP = struggle; SKIP = they SKIP = are SKIP = cradles SKIP = of SKIP = resistance SKIP = and SKIP = sometimes SKIP = emerge SKIP = as SKIP = places
where SKIP = solid SKIP = alternatives SKIP = to SKIP = capitalist SKIP = arrangements SKIP = are SKIP = forged.
They SKIP = are SKIP = where SKIP = the SKIP = multitudes SKIP = are SKIP = located SKIP = and SKIP = where SKIP = singularity SKIP = is SKIP = produced SKIP = and SKIP = reproduced.