Subsumption in Kant, Hegel and Marx

“In his brilliant genealogy of the enigmatic notion of ‘subsumption’, from Kant to Hegel to Marx, Saenz de Sicilia provides an important contribution to the debate on the ‘reversal’ of German Idealism into Historical Materialism. He also offers precious insights into the ‘hidden abode’ of capitalist exploitation, more relevant than ever. I highly recommend his book.”—Etienne Balibar, author of The Philosophy of Marx“What does it mean to live under capitalism? To have been sometime, someplace forcibly brought into it. Saenz de Sicilia lifts the technical term ‘subsumption’ out of German idealism, where it lolls among reflective categories of thought and ontology. He shows how in Marx subsumption becomes a social operation by which non-capitalist things are, provisionally and not without resistance, obliged to serve capital’s bidding. In this obligation lies a chance to be otherwise.”—Paul North, editor of Capital: Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1

Andrés Saenz de Sicilia, Ph.D. (2016), Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University London, is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern University London.