4th Annual Nomos Conference. Law and the Critique of Political Economy: 60th Anniversary of Reading Capital

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14220%2F25%3A00141343" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14220/25:00141343 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

4th Annual Nomos Conference. Law and the Critique of Political Economy: 60th Anniversary of Reading Capital

Original language description

Sixty years ago, Reading Capital offered a transformative reading of Marx’s Capital, reorienting the way scholars, activists, and theorists viewed the role of law within capitalist society. For Althusser, Balibar, Rancière, Establet and Macherey, a genuine understanding of Marx’s critique demanded a lens that brought economic and material forces to the forefront, highlighting how law is not a neutral arbiter of justice but a structure deeply embedded in the capitalist mode of production. Law, they argued, functions not simply as a regulatory tool but as a fundamental mechanism through which capital exercises control, manages class conflict, and reproduces its power. From a Marxist perspective, law is inseparable from the political economy because it arises from, enforces, and perpetuates the relations of production. Under capitalism, legal frameworks are designed to safeguard property rights, enforce contracts, and legitimate private ownership—all of which are essential to the maintenance and growth of capital. Marx’s critique demonstrated that law, rather than standing apart from economic interests, actually facilitates the accumulation of wealth and the entrenchment of class hierarchies. This insight remains profoundly relevant in our own time, as capitalism morphs into new forms and faces systemic crises. Today, as we grapple with stark inequalities, environmental collapse, and rising authoritarianism, the relationship between law and political economy demands renewed scrutiny. Wark’s declaration that “Capital is dead” reflects a contemporary frustration with the ability of traditional critiques to fully capture the complexities of modern capitalism, which has evolved into a global network of finance, data, and extraction. Yet, as Wark also suggests, the imagination and energies of the subordinate classes remain powerful. This conference takes up the challenge of exploring how Marxist critiques of law can help us understand and resist the transformations of capitalism today. What does it mean to read Capital in a world where economic power is concentrated in the hands of a few corporations and states, where wealth inequality is extreme, and where legal systems often seem complicit in perpetuating social and environmental injustices? This conference invites scholars to return to the materialist critique of law within political economy, examining how law continues to serve as a critical tool in maintaining economic power structures. From the foreclosure crisis and austerity measures to labour law and environmental deregulation, the impact of law on economic and social life remains profound. By revisiting Reading Capital’s Marxist approach, we seek to explore law not as an abstract system of rules but as a living, evolving force that both reflects and shapes the contradictions of capitalism.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

M - Conference organization

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50500 - Law

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Event location

Brno

Event country

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Event starting date

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Event ending date

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Total number of attendees

32

Foreign attendee count

28

Type of event by attendee nationality

WRD - Celosvětová akce