Competition among capitals and commodified labor drive rapid technological development

Evidence

It is as an explanation of the changes preoccupying modernization theorists that historical materialism claims our attention. The defining characteristics of capitalist relations of production - the transforma­ tion of labour-power into a commodity and the control of the means of production by competing capitals - are responsible for a tendency for the productive forces to develop rapidly. Competing capitals seek to undercut their rivals by introducing cost-cutting technological innovations, while the subjection of workers to the labour-market allows capitalists to develop systematic incentives designed to en­ hance labour productivity. — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism, 163

The defining characteristics of capitalist relations of production - the transforma­ tion of labour-power into a commodity and the control of the means of production by competing capitals - are responsible for a tendency for the productive forces to develop rapidly. Competing capitals seek to undercut their rivals by introducing cost-cutting technological innovations, while the subjection of workers to the labour-market allows capitalists to develop systematic incentives designed to en­ hance labour productivity. Hence the emphasis laid by Marx in the Manifesto on the dynamism of capitalism, its accomplishment of ‘wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals’: ‘The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the rela­ tions of production, and with them the whole relations of society.’ — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism, 163

Categorization

• XREF: The competitive-innovation causal mechanism is the Marxist explanation for the dynamism Jameson’s postmodernism thesis takes as ambient background. — connects to: Technology results from capital’s development, not the reverse; Competitive advantage from innovation is temporary and forces constant reinvestment — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism: An Intervention, 125; Technological innovation is pushed from behind, not pulled toward a goal — Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, 394 (+4 more)
• corroborated: 4 independent passages support this claim — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism: A Marxist…, 163

Broader Connections

• Technology results from capital’s development, not the reverse #corroborates (0.95)
• Competitive advantage from innovation is temporary and forces constant reinvestment #expands (0.82) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 125
• Technological innovation is pushed from behind, not pulled toward a goal #expands (0.78) — Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity, 394
• Material forces of production determine the superstructure and drive social revolutions #expands (0.75)
• Technology’s cultural effects are mediated by late capitalism not deterministically #qualifies (0.72) — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 410