Karl Marx – Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy

The book may have typographical errors. A free scanned copy of the original book can be downloaded from the publisher. Not accessible. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: 3. Money. Money is the result of the circulation process C–M–C and forms the starting point of the circulation process M–C–M. Commodity forms the beginning and final points of the movement in the form C–M–C, while money plays that part in the form M–C–M. Money is the medium of exchange of commodities, while the commodity helps money to become money. Money which appears as a means of circulation in the first form becomes an end in the second form, while commodity which appeared first as the end becomes a means. The real import of the process in the case of C–M–C was the interchange of matter. Their exchange C–C is an actual interchange of matter. The two extremes are gold and equal value in the form of M–C–M. To exchange gold for a commodity in order to exchange the commodity for gold, or if we consider the final result M–M, to exchange gold for gold, seems ridiculous. The expression: to buy in order to sell, which means nothing but to exchange gold for gold through an intervening movement, is the prevailing form of capitalist production. People don’t buy in order to…