
audiobook
by P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph) Proudhon
VOLUME FIRST. - INTRODUCTION.
THE EVOLUTION OF CAPITALISM - SYSTEM OF ECONOMICAL CONTRADICTIONS OR, THE PHILOSOPHY OF MISERY. BY P. J. PROUDHON
I.
III.
CHAPTER II. - OF VALUE.
CHAPTER III. - ECONOMIC EVOLUTIONS.—FIRST PERIOD.—THE DIVISION OF LABOR.
CHAPTER IV. - SECOND PERIOD.—MACHINERY.
CHAPTER V. - THIRD PERIOD.—COMPETITION.
CHAPTER VI. - FOURTH PERIOD.—MONOPOLY.
CHAPTER VIII. - OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN AND OF GOD, UNDER THE LAW OF CONTRADICTION, OR A SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM OF PROVIDENCE.
A bold, sweeping meditation opens by daring to treat the notion of God not as a comfort but as a necessary analytical instrument for uncovering the hidden mechanics of capitalism. The author argues that modern society’s faith in progress masks a deeper, collective impulse that drives institutions—from monarchies to markets—toward an unseen destiny. This provocative premise invites listeners to reconsider the familiar narrative of economic history through a lens that blurs philosophy, theology, and social science.
The text then turns to the paradoxical nature of human agency, contrasting the conscious deliberations of the individual with the instinctive currents that steer societies as whole. By tracing how rituals, laws, and public ceremonies echo an “invisible Providence,” the work suggests that our communal actions are both spontaneous and subtly orchestrated. Listeners who relish rigorous, thought‑provoking discourse will find this first volume a compelling invitation to explore the restless tension between reason, belief, and the economic forces that shape our world.
Language
en
Duration
~14 hours (849K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
1996-02-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1809–1865
Best known for the provocative phrase "property is theft," this 19th-century French thinker helped shape modern anarchist and socialist debate. His writing mixes fierce political argument with close attention to work, justice, and everyday economic life.
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