Marxist Theory of Capitalist Breakdown

‘In world market crises, all the contradictions of bourgeois production erupt collectively; in particular crises (particular in their content and in extent) the eruptions are only sporadically, isolated and one-sided.’ Theories of Surplus Value – Karl Marx

What happens when capitalism reaches its limits? Can the system sustain itself indefinitely, or is collapse built into its very logic?

Join us for an in-depth talk and discussion with Stephan Hammel, Associate Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine, whose research spans the intellectual history of Marxism and critical theory. His recent book, Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History (Brill, 2024), explores the intersections of music, history, and materialist philosophy. In this event, however, Hammel turns his focus to a more foundational question in Marxist theory: the notion of capitalist breakdown.

From Marx’s early writings through to Rosa Luxemburg, Henryk Grossman, and modern debates around crisis theory, Hammel will guide us through key perspectives on how—and whether—capitalism is destined to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. Is crisis cyclical or terminal? What role do class struggle, overaccumulation, and falling profit rates play in shaping the fate of the system? And how should the left understand these theories today?

Canterbury Socialist Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Canterbury Socialist Society’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Jun 29, 2025 10:30 AM Auckland, Wellington
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84356115960?pwd=aTsV73Y5FGHQ0bl95fdWnodOEibzCb.1

Meeting ID: 843 5611 5960
Passcode: 725098