Henri Lefebvre THE SURVIVAL OF CAPITALISM Reproduction of the Relations of Production ‘Translated by Frank Bryant St, Martins Pres, New York.Copyright © 1973 by Editions Anthropos ‘Translation copyright © 1976 by Allison & Busby All cights reserved, For information, wete: ‘St Martin’s Press, Inc. 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Printed in Great Britain Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-32932 First published in the United States of America in 1976 AFFILIATED PUBLISHERS: Macmillan Limited, London — also at Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Melbourne L 2 3 4 5. CONTENTS The discovery Reproduction ofthe relations of production Is the working class revolutionery? deologies of growth Alternatives Index 2 92 102 120 1281 THE DISCOVERY 1 The reproduction of the relations of production, both as a con- cept and as a reality, has not been “discovered”: it has revealed itself. Neither the adventurer in knowledge nor the mere recorder of facts can sight this “continent” before actually exploring it If ic exists, it rose from the waves like a reef, together with the ocean itself and the spray. The metaphor “continent” stands for capitalism as 2 mode of production, a totality which has never Deen systematised or achieved, is never “over and done wit and i sill being realised. It has taken a considerable period of work to say exactly what itis thats revealing itself, Before the question could be accurately formulated a whole coastellation of concepts had to be elaborated ‘through a series of approximations: “the everyday” ” “the repetitive” and “the differential”; : “the production of space”. etc. What began to emerge and reveal itzalf gave rise fist of all to a theocetical hypothesis, and then to the detailed work of research, 0 If tha theoretical hypothesis is valid, i other words f the concept of “reproduction of the relations of production" is truly a concept (ith its own truth, in itself), then it does not simply amount t0, 8 transmission belt, a kind of intellectual tol for analysing crit cally "the real, It is more than this: it has a global and synthetic, meaning (though it does not behave like a classical “synthesis” or “gystem”). It occupies @ central postion, displacing and substi- tuting itself for certain widely held philosophical notions or scien- Ul specialisations such as “the subject” (whether individual or collective, cartesian or otherwise), “the object” ("the thing”, “che sign”, etc), “structure” and “function” etc. Ie does not stand for some obscure entity such as naturaliy, historicity. "happening- 7ess” [événementiat], spontaneity or the unconscious nor for fome equally cbscure metaphor sich as “aggregate, “ux” or Chain reaction”: nor for some mechanically over-precise detec: Thnatlon suchas “device” "mechanism", “feedback” ec If cis Well deermined, it denotes a compler process involving contca Ulctone 4 process which not only repeats and redoubles those Cantatore ot so dglaes chang and alae hom, Ts he only rlaively fem ground which exists: sf one leaves it, ‘esc has no choir but to return to the inadequate metaphors of ux ete ‘This docs not mean thatthe meaning of our concept has no limite, that i covers the horizon in all directions. But it can be Said that being global concept, it sheds a ceeospective (and perspective) light over the period in Kone and behind. The result UF troducing this coneept is not the appearance of discon {Tnuty but onthe contrary aresmtion of the direction taken ching the proces of dacovery ; “The dacovery alters the perspective, but excludes nothing: i cots sconction of ereshig wick precede he {ea of the "blocked society", "neoarcaism, andthe promise 0 wes etehs ome cceg without tanaforming the clone of ‘Rinluction). Av oe stoke it pots an end to all thse declamatory Titemente made. by the revolutionary volusarsts and subec- Gs abt the iinet end ofthe ld word” which oly Tingrs om Because of human stupidity, as well as tothe statements Ueefoee whe believe ii posible to achieve structural equiibsum Sn harmony been the various elements of society ‘rhe emphasis shifts. Tis no longer essential to desebe the partial groveses such a biological reproduction (the procreation UF children, population problems), material prdction (quanta tive caleataion and eoreltion, the techniques and organisation of [abour), ox consumption and its various modalities (neds, objects, "dicourse” and "ens, and various other manipulation). What Senta isto analyse thoroughly the relation of produ “Relations of production” shoul be understood in Max’ sense. tot simply st money andthe commodity (the conditions of capi tak aise byeaptalist activity tothe word seal), and not simply ts wages and profit (surplus value), but a8 the landabour