Interpreting the Temporal Ideas in Das Kapital and Their Contemporary Implications

Abstract

In contemporary society, technological advancements have continuously enhanced social productivity. However, the progress of capital logic and the forceful competition mechanisms have imposed a severe sense of time urgency on individuals. Simultaneously, within limited leisure time, people find themselves ensnared in the consumption trap constructed by capital. Time has gradually lost its orderly rhythm and narrative tension, atomizing into scattered points without any inherent support. Once connected to nature and human essence, time has now undergone a complete rupture from these factors under the reshaping influence of capital, becoming the chain that firmly locks workers within the framework of capital production. Drawing on the rational aspects of both old materialist and idealist perspectives on time, Marx revolutionarily linked time to practice and material production activities, bringing about a transformative shift in temporal thinking. In Das Kapital utilizing time as a crucial key, he exposes the true nature of the bourgeoisie and calls upon the proletariat to embrace class consciousness, undertake their historical mission, and strive for a communist society where free time universally prevails. A thorough examination of Marx’s temporal ideas in Das Kapital and their integration with contemporary realities can provide valuable guidance for overcoming the temporal challenges faced by modern society.