ONLINE GLOBAL PROBLEMS READER AND RESOURCE MANUAL

PART 1: THE CONSUMER. THE LABORER, THE MERCHANT AND THE NATION-STATE

Introduction to the Readings and Resources in Part One

The Consumer, the Laborer, The Capitalist, and the Nation-State

In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism we suggest that the culture of capitalism can be understood through the relationships between four historically unique social entities: the consumer, the laborer, the capitalist, and the nation-state. The role of the consumer is to accumulate goods, that of the laborer to accumulate wages through the sale of his or her labor, and that of the capitalist to accumulate capital by profiting from his or her investments. The nation-state serves to regulate, in some fashion, the relationships between consumer, laborer, and capitalist largely by gaining a monopoly on the use of armed force, ensuring the orderly circulation of goods, and taking for itself a share of the national income. We suggest further that money is the language of social relations in the culture of capitalism. At it simplest level, these relationships can be represented as follows:

We assume, also, that understanding the relationships among these entities is necessary if we are to appreciate the impact of the culture of capitalism on the world.

The readings and resources for Part One all address, in one form or another, the origin, nature, and consequences of the actions of the consumer, the laborer, the capitalist, and the nation-state.