The Space - Time Boundary Of Capital And Its Historical Significance

Relations of production based on wage labor are the nature of capital. Capital is interpreted as pure material, its self-accumulation as natural attribute in the Western economics. This opinion not only shakes the dominant position of human in the social process of historical development, but also makes the term "capital" undefined. Marx applied the method of integrated analysis to explore global history included by capital according to the historical conditions of the formation of capital—from labor force to commodity. He did not regard capital as material, but the relations of production shaped by productive activities in particular historical stages. These relations are economic and social powers on the basis of wage labor. Market economy is the means of capital’s pursuit of surplus value and value accumulation. With the establishment of capitalist relations of production worldwide, market economy has been eventually constructed as a mode of distribution of social resource. Consequently, the principles of market economy take control in capitalist societies whose core is wage labor. All civilizations of social relations are created by capitalist relations of production:it elevates material civilization to an unprecedented degree so that it can accommodate the productive forces which exceed all of them of any societies in history. It is also a historical requisite for human’s free development because it endows human with all social attributes.Capital is the biggest limitation of its own civilization. It constantly reduces the amount of necessary labor time, raise social productivity, expand the size of production, open up global markets to show its civilization. It treats every external obstacle as limitation that impedes its accumulation. Thus, it overcomes them in abstracto. However, it cannot be said that capital has overcome its limitations in practice. Capital boosts productive forces, conquers nature and endows human with social attributes, on one hand; it impedes productive forces, destroys nature and generates one-dimensional persons, on the other hand. It has increasingly become the obstacle to human’s integrated development and the harmony among five kinds of production in the process of its own development, which urges people to destruct capital by itself. In the time axis, capital strives to reduce the amount of labor time to the lowest degree, while it makes it the only dimension of wealth. This paradox causes cyclical capitalist economic crises which intensifies the conflicts between wage labor and capital. Capitalist countries comprehensively intervene in the economy through institutional adjustments in order to ensure eradicating the economic crises by overproduction. The role of states has transformed from "night watch" to "capital baron", which deviates from the basic requirements of political communities, namely the functions of providing public life. Citizens’sense of loyalty to state has decreased for this transformation, and then capitalist countries are beset with the crisis of "legitimacy". The economic conflicts between labor and capital have become a social issue. In the space axis, capital expands the extent of accumulation globally that products imbalance of regions and global polarization. Capital sustains a lengthy lifespan through the deprivation and accumulation of space of globe, mind and daily life. Meanwhile, it fosters the destructive elements against itself. The power of capital accumulation permeates everywhere of the world and human’s bodies and minds. It also spreads dissatisfaction of some individuals about the power of capital to all people as a result that it is resisted by them.Socialist market economy that serves people is the fundamental principle of China’s governance over capital. Capital is the source of modern society and its conflicts. It brings rich material wealth accompanied by the deconstruction of social and global harmony. China is in the primary stage of socialism, which needs the recognition and development of capital to change the condition of economic backwardness and realize modernization. Moreover, direction and control over capital is required to avoid market failure. The origin and goal of socialist market economy is not capital accumulation, but common good, which demands state’s macro-regulation in the sphere of market economy. This measure can guarantee the market to orderly operate, grow and boom. State’s authority should be established in the non-market sphere to create an effective fair social and institutional environment. Only by taking these steps could the gap between the rich and the poor be narrowed."Harmonious world" should be constructed in the global market economy, which demands reform and opening and competitive engagement, on one hand; requires exploring new approaches to constructing international political and economic order and achieving co-prosperity.