On Marx’s Remarks About The Economic Crisis Of 1857

From 1852 to 1860,Marx published 95 commentary articles on the economic crisis of 1857 in the New York Daily Tribune.Why did Marx attach great importance to the study of this economic crisis? What are the main contents of Marx’s discourse on this economic crisis? What scientific conclusions are included in it? What is the status of these studies and assertions in the theoretical study of Marx’s political economy? What role did it play? For these issues,although the existing research has been involved,there is a lack of in-depth and systematic investigation and analysis.Following the clues of this question,this thesis conducts textual analysis and historical investigation on the content and writing background of 95 commentary articles about the economic crisis of 1857 published by Marx in the New York Daily Tribune.By summarizing the European revolutionary experience in 1848,Marx believed that the economic crisis was not only a “stubborn disease” of capitalism,but also an important “opportunity” for proletarian revolution.Therefore,Marx made prediction and analysis of the next round of economic crisis as one of the theoretical researches at that time.The key point is that he attached great importance to and tracked the main motivation of the economic crisis of 1857,and regarded it as a“sparrow” to solve the mystery of the mechanism of the capitalist economic crisis.The main content of Marx’s exposition on the economic crisis of 1857 can be summarized into five aspects: causes,symptoms,realistic manifestations,coping strategies,and development trends.According to Marx,the sharpening of the basic contradictions of capitalism was the fundamental cause of the economic crisis in 1857,but the excessive speculation of chattel credit companies,the outflow of precious metals and improper monetary policy,and the split between supply and demand in the initial formation of the world market were the direct causes of the economic crisis;Widespread and unscrupulous speculation,the increase in bank discount rates,the imbalance between fixed capital and idle capital,the widespread and dramatic rise in the prices of the means of production and livelihood,and the rise in unemployment and extreme poverty are symptoms of this economic crisis;The serious economic stagnation and recession and the general demoralization of social morality are the realistic manifestations of this economic crisis;The strategy of capitalist countries to deal with this economic crisis is essentially to transfer the economic crisis to foreign countries and domestic countries;Political revolution in continental Europe is the development trend of this economic crisis.At the same time,through comparative analysis,it was found that Marx’s theoretical prediction of the economic crisis in1857 deviates from the actual situation,but Marx explained it scientifically after reflection,and in the process prompted him to further revise and deepen his understanding of the capitalist economic crisis.Marx’s discourses on the economic crisis of 1857 are of great value: First,these discourses show Marx’s standpoint,viewpoint and method for observing and thinking about the economic crisis that occurred in reality,and provide him with an ideological picture and important ideas for empirical testing in constructing his theory of economic crisis;Second,through in-depth investigation of the occurrence and development of the economic crisis in1857,Marx was more clearly aware of the urgency and importance of political economy research,and inspired him to start writing Capital in a timely manner;Third,Marx’s discussion on the process and mechanism of the economic crisis in 1857 has important guiding significance for correctly understanding and preventing the impact of foreign capitalist economic crisis on our country.