Could Capitalism Have Thrived Without Colonialism?
Abstract
Vijay Prashad critiques the argument that colonialism was, at most, ancillary to the transition between capitalism and feudalism in Western Europe. Instead, Prashad argues, "capitalism as it historically emerged—industrial, global, racialized, and imperial—was inseparable from colonial expropriation." This reality must fuel a Marxist conception of the global struggle for reparations for those who have been oppressed and exploited at the hands of empires past and present.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Indian Economic and Social Development
Indian History and Philosophy
Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Monthly Review
- Publisher
- Monthly Review Foundation
- Pages
- 15–26
- Publication date
- 1 March 2026