Article (C-0-A) Revolutionising capitalism through the application of liberal appropriation[Article (C-0-A) Révolutionner le capitalisme en appliquant l’appropriation libérale]

This article brings together a review of six articles by André Moulin, a researcher at Paris-Saclay University (CPN laboratory), published as part of two research blogs: ‘The Reinterpretation and Subsequent Application of Spinoza in the Social Sciences' and ‘Economics through the Lens of the Means of Production'. The six articles reviewed are, in the order in which they should be read: • C-0 — Who pays for and who appropriates the means of production • C-1-q — The persistence of the privilege of exclusive appropriation of assets • C-1-j — The three hallmarks of capitalism • C-1-1 — The three circuits of capitalism • D-i — Breaking with capitalism alongside the libertarians and Locke • C-1-w — Locke's right of appropriation to transform capitalism These six articles demonstrate that contemporary capitalism is based on the following privilege: shareholders appropriate the means of production—the assets—without paying any price for them whatsoever. This privilege constitutes a structural and permanent violation of the most fundamental liberal principle — that only those who pay are entitled to ownership. A legal reform that abolishes this privilege is then proposed, without abolishing private property or resorting to any ideological premise alien to the liberal system. This change makes the collective of employees the decision-makers and majority owners of the assets, as they contribute most to them by devoting a portion of the proceeds of their labour to them.¹This article brings together a review of six articles by André Moulin, a researcher at Paris-Saclay University (CPN laboratory), published as part of two research blogs: ‘The Reinterpretation and Subsequent Application of Spinoza in the Social Sciences' and ‘Economics through the Lens of the Means of Production'. The six articles reviewed are, in the order in which they should be read: • C-0 — Who pays for and who appropriates the means of production • C-1-q — The persistence of the privilege of exclusive appropriation of assets • C-1-j — The three hallmarks of capitalism • C-1-1 — The three circuits of capitalism • D-i — Breaking with capitalism alongside the libertarians and Locke • C-1-w — Locke's right of appropriation to transform capitalism These six articles demonstrate that contemporary capitalism is based on the following privilege: shareholders appropriate the means of production—the assets—without paying any price for them whatsoever. This privilege constitutes a structural and permanent violation of the most fundamental liberal principle — that only those who pay are entitled to ownership. A legal reform that abolishes this privilege is then proposed, without abolishing private property or resorting to any ideological premise alien to the liberal system. This change makes the collective of employees the decision-makers and majority owners of the assets, as they contribute most to them by devoting a portion of the proceeds of their labour to them.