| Kozo Uno | |
|---|---|
 Kozo Uno, 1952 | |
| Born | (1897-11-12)November 12, 1897 Kurashiki |
| Died | February 22, 1977(1977-02-22) (aged 79) Kugenuma, Fujisawa |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Academic career | |
| Field | Political economy |
| School or tradition | Marxian economics, Marxist revisionism |
| Influences | Hegel, Marx, Sombart, Kautsky, Hilferding, Lenin, Weber, Ōuchi Hyōe, Sakisaka Itsurō |
Kozo Uno (宇野 弘蔵, Uno Kōzō, November 12, 1897 – February 22, 1977) was a Japanese economist and is considered one of the most important theorists on the field of Marx's theory of value.
He is an influential Marxist economist in Japan, where his school of thought is called the Uno School (Uno gakuha) . His main work Principles of Economics was published in 1950-52. Among his scholars are Thomas T. Sekine and Makoto Itoh.
Thought
Uno based his work on a rigorously Hegelian reading of Marx's Capital. This led him to his well-known conclusion that Marxian analysis had to be conducted at three separate levels:
- Theory of Principles : The "pure" theory of Capital, freed from the complications of history – highly abstract exercises in dialectical logic on the basic, core dynamics of capitalist economy.
- Theory of Stages : A "middle" level, which traces the general development of capitalism through distinct historical stages – mercantilism, classical liberalism and so on.
- Analysis of the Present : The analysis of the 'messy' details of capitalist economy in the real world, concentrating on particular narratives rather than an overall picture.
Uno and his followers have come in for criticism from the wider Marxist tradition for insisting on this separation. Simon Clarke sees this schema as "scholastic formalism", and the second level as an arbitrary addition to provide a link between the other two, rather than an analytically necessary one. As Kincaid points out, though, Capital is primarily a logically rather than chronologically argued work, which looks at the laws of capitalist development and draws mainly supporting evidence from historical data. Thus, the separation of the Uno school represents an acknowledgement of this logical nature, and registers the key problem of how the critique can be linked to actual economic development in a way that competing schools often cannot.
Chronology
1897
- November 12 — Born in Kurashiki Town, Okayama Prefecture
1915
- March — Graduates from Okayama Prefectural Takahashi Middle School
- July — Enrolls at the Sixth Higher School
1918
- June — Graduates from the Sixth Higher School
- July — Enrolls in the German Law section at the Faculty of Law, Tokyo Imperial University but soon transfers to the Economics section
1921
- April — Graduates from Economics section at the Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Imperial University
- May — Becomes a non-regular employee at the Ōhara Institute for Social Research
1922
- July 2 — Marries Takano Maria
- September — Leaves for Europe to research economics, residing mainly in Berlin
1922-24
- Resigns from the Ōhara Institute for Social Research
- Enrolls at the University of Berlin and attends a few lectures by Werner Sombart, Hermann Schumacher, Ernst Wagemann, Heinrich Cunow and Gustav Mayer, but does not study under anyone and mainly studies by himself
- Attends a SPD conference (where Hilferding was present) with Sakisaka Itsurō, goes to socialist and communist meetings, reads Vorwärts and Die Rote Fahne
- Focusses on studying Marx's Capital along with the recently published German edition of Lenin's Imperialism, but finds Lukács's History and Class Consciousness and Korsch's Marxism and Philosophy "too ideological"
1924
- September — Returns to Japan; brings back Hilferding's Finance Capital and studies it
- October — Appointed as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and Literature, Tohoku Imperial University
1925
- September — Becomes responsible for the Economics III module (Theory of Economy Policy) at Tohoku Imperial University
1930
- June — Debut article 'The Necessity of Money: Hilferding's Monetary Theory Reconsidered' published in the journal Shakai Kagaku
1938
- February — Arrested in Sendai in connection with the so-called Rōnōha Professors Incident and remains in custody until May
- December — Indicted under the National Security Law and ordered to take a leave of absence
1939
- October — Ruled not guilty in the first hearing at the Sendai District Court
1940
- December — Ruled not guilty in the second hearing at the Miyagi Court of Appeal
1941
- January — Reinstatement is approved by the Committee of Professors of the Faculty of Law and Literature, Tohoku Imperial University, but declines and resigns
- March — Employed at the Institute for Japanese Trade at the Japan Trade Promotion Association
1944
- June — Resigns from the Institute for Japanese Trade at the Japan Trade Promotion Association
- July — Employed at the Mitsubishi Economic Research Institute
1946
- March — Becomes a lecturer at Tohoku Imperial University
1947
- January — Resigns from the Mitsubishi Economic Research Institute and becomes a non-regular employee at the Institute of Social Science, Tokyo Imperial University
- June — Appointed as a Professor at Tokyo Imperial University and employed at their Institute of Social Science
1949
- June — Appointed as the Director of the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo
1952
- February — Resigns as Director from the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo
1953
- January — Becomes a Secretary of the Institute of Statistical Research
- May — Given a role at the Social Science section at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo and becomes responsible for their theoretical economics and history of economics courses
1954
- December — Receives a doctorate in economics
1958
- March — Resigns from the University of Tokyo after reaching their mandatory retirement age
- April — Appointed as a Professor at the Department of Sociology, Hosei University
1968
- March — Resigns as Professor from Hosei University
- April — Becomes a lecturer for the Social Science section of the Graduate School of Hosei University
- Junes — Becomes a non-regular employee at the Institute for Economic Research, Rissho University
1969
- March — Resigns as lecturer from the Graduate School of Hosei University
1972
- March — Resigns as non-regular employee from the Institute for Economic Research, Rissho University
- May 21 — Suffers a stroke and is bedridden thereafter
1977
- February 22 — Dies at home in Kugenuma, Fujisawa City
Publications
As author
- Theory of Economic Policy, Vol. 1 (Kōbundō , 1936; reprinted 1948; 2nd ed. 1954; reprinted in SW7).
- In the 1954 edition, "Vol. 1" was dropped from the title.
- Prolegomena to the Agrarian Question (Kaizōsha , 1947; 2nd ed. Aoki Shoten , 1965; reprinted in SW8; reprinted Kobushi Bunko , 2014).
- Theory of Value (Kawade Shobō , 1947; reprinted Aoki Shoten , 1965; reprinted in SW3; reprinted Kobushi Bunko , 1996).
- Introduction to Capital (Hakujitsu Shoin , 1948; 2nd. ed. Sōgen Bunko , 1952; reprinted Aoki Shoten , 1968; reprinted in SW6; reprinted Kōdansha Gakujutsu Bunko , 1977).
- A reader's guide to Capital, Vol. 1.
- Studies on Capital (Iwanami Shoten , 1949; reprinted in SW3).
- Introduction to Capital, Vol. 2 (Hakujitsu Sho'in , 1949; reprinted in SW6; reprinted Iwanami Shoten , 1977).
- Principles of Economics (Iwanami Shoten , 1950–52; reprinted in SW1).
- Published in 2 volumes. "経済原論" is the same title as Marshall's Principles of Economics in Japanese.
- For Social Science (Kōbundō , 1952; most of it reprinted in SW9-10).
- Studies on the Theory of Value (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1952; reprinted in SW3).
- Theory of Crisis (Iwanami Shoten , 1953; reprinted in SW5; reprinted Iwanami Bunko , 2010).
- Capital and Socialism (Iwanami Shoten , 1954; reprinted in SW10; reprinted Kobushi Bunko , 1995).
- Studies on the Principles of Marxist Economics (Iwanami Shoten , 1959; reprinted in SW4).
- Methodology of Economics (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1962; reprinted in SW9).
- Economics Seminar, Vol. 1: Method of Economics (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai , 1963).
- Economics Seminar, Vol. 2: Issues in the Theory of Value (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai , 1963).
- Economics Seminar, Vol. 3: Problems of the Theory of Crisis and the Theory of Commercial Profit (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai , 1963).
- Principles of Economics (Iwanami Zensho , 1964; reprinted in SW2; reprinted Iwanami Bunko , 2016).
- The abridged but revised edition of the 1950-52 Principles of Economics.
- Fundamental Problems of Social Science (Aoki Shoten , 1966; reprinted in SW9-10).
- Discussion on Economics (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1967).
- Economics as Social Science (Chikuma Shobō , 1969; most of it reprinted in SW9-10; reprinted Chikuma Gakugei Bunko , 2016).
- Problems of Marxist Economics (Iwanami Shoten , 1969; Part 1 reprinted in SW4, Part 2 in SW10).
- Economic Theory of Capital (Iwanami Shinsho , 1969; reprinted in SW6).
- Fifty Years with Capital (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai , 1970–73).
- Published in 2 volumes. In interviews, Uno details his intellectual biography.
- Theory of Economic Policy (Kōbundō , 1971; reprinted in SW7).
- The revised edition of the 1936 Theory of Economic Policy.
- Utility of Economics (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1972).
- Selected Works of Uno Kōzō (Iwanami Shoten , 1973–74).
- Published in 11 volumes .
- Learning from Capital (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1975; reprinted Chikuma Gakugei Bunko , 2015).
- Capital and Me (Ochanomizu Shobō , 2008).
As co-author
- Uno Kōzō and Umemoto Katsumi , Social Science and the Dialectic (Iwanami Shoten , 1976; reprinted Kobushi Bunko , 2006).
- Uno Kōzō, Ōuchi Tsutomu and Ōshima Kiyoshi , Capitalism: Its Development and Structure (Kadokawa Sensho , 1978).
- Uno Kōzō and Fuji'i Hiroshi , The Archetype of Modern Capitalism (Kobushi Bunko , 1997).
As editor
- Studies on the Bloc Economy as Seen through the Sugar Industry (Kurita Shoten , 1944).
- "広域経済" is the Japanese translation of 'Großraumwirtschaft'.
- Lectures on the Principles of Economics (Seirin Shoin , 1955; 2nd ed. Seirin Shoin Shinsha , 1969; Q&A section reprinted in SW2).
- Economics (Kadokawa Zensho , 1956; reprinted Kadokawa Sophia Bunko , 2019).
- Published in 2 volumes.
- Studies on Land Tax Reform (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1957–58).
- Published in 2 volumes.
- The Present State of the Rural Economy in Japan under Economic Stability (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai , 1961).
- Capital Studies, Vol. 1: Commodity, Money and Capital (Chikuma Shobō , 1967).
- Capital Studies, Vol. 2: Surplus Value and Accumulation (Chikuma Shobō , 1967).
- Capital Studies, Vol. 3: Distribution Process of Capital (Chikuma Shobō , 1967).
- Capital Studies, Vol. 4: Production Price and Profit (Chikuma Shobō , 1968).
- Capital Studies, Vol. 5: Interest and Rent (Chikuma Shobō , 1968).
As co-editor
- Capital Studies: Commodity and Process of Exchange (Kawade Shobō , 1948).
- Capital Studies: Process of Distribution (Kawade Shobō , 1949).
- Studies on Marxist Economics: Festschrift for Prof. Ōuchi Hyōe on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday, Vol. 1 (Iwanami Shoten , 1953).
- The World Economy and the Japanese Economy: Festschrift for Prof. Ōuchi Hyōe on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday, Vol. 2 (Iwanami Shoten , 1956).
- Japanese Capitalism and Agriculture (Iwanami Shoten , 1959).
- Dictionary of Capital (Aoki Shoten , 1961).
As translator
- Friedrich Engels, 'Über historischen Materialismus' , Marx-Engels Complete Works, Vol. 12 (Kaizōsha , 1928).
- Karl Marx, 'Die moralisierende Kritik und die kritisierende Moral' , Marx-Engels Complete Works, Vol. 3 (Kaizōsha , 1929).
- Walter Bagehot, Lombard Street (Iwanami Bunko , 1941).
Uno's works in English translation
- Principles of Political Economy: Theory of a Purely Capitalist Society, trans. Thomas T. Sekine (Brighton: The Harvester Press, 1980).
- Translation of the abridged 1964 Iwanami Zensho edition of Principles of Economics.
- The Types of Economic Policies under Capitalism, trans. Thomas T. Sekine, ed. John R. Bell (Leiden: Brill, 2016).
- Translation of the 1971 edition of Theory of Economic Policy.
- Theory of Crisis, trans. Ken C. Kawashima (Leiden: Brill, 2020).
Bibliography
Books
- Joe, Hyeon-soo (1995). Politische Ökonomie als Gesellschaftstheorie. Studien zur Marx-Rezeption von Isaak Iljitsch Rubin und Kozo Uno (in German). Marburg: Diss. Philipps-Universität.
- Louisa Lange, Elena (2021). Value without Fetish: Uno Kōzō's Theory of 'Pure Capitalism' in Light of Marx's Critique of Political Economy. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-44990-9. JSTOR 10.1163/j.ctv1v7zbws.
Essays
- Clarke, Simon (March 1989). "The Basic Theory of Capitalism: A Critique of Itoh and the Uno School" (PDF). Capital and Class. 37. doi:10.1177/030981688903700108. S2CID 145736353. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2016.
- Foster, John Bellamy. "Marxism and the Uno School. The Basic Theory of Capitalism: The Forms and Substance of the Capitalist Economy by Makoto Itoh". Archived from the original on 2007-03-10.
- Kincaid, J. (2006). "Finance, Trust and the Power of Capital". Historical Materialism. 14 (1). Brill: 31–48. doi:10.1163/156920606776690992.
- Kubota, Ken (2020). "The Dialectical Presentation of the General Notion of Capital in the Light of Hegel's Philosophy: On the Logical Analysis of Political Economy with Special Consideration of Adorno and the Research Results of Rubin, Backhaus, Reichelt, Uno, and Sekine" (PDF). Revista Dialectus. 9 (18): 39–65. doi:10.4444/100.100.
- Pozo, Luis M. "Dialectics and Deconstruction in Political Economy". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Saraka, Sean. "Review of Albritton's "Dialectics and Deconstruction in Political Economy"". Archived from the original on 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Sekine, Thomas T. (1975). "Uno-Riron: A Japanese Contribution to Marxian Political Economy". Journal of Economic Literature. 13: 847–877. doi:10.4444/34.100.
- Simoulidis, John. "Levels of Analysis and the Concept of Interest: an Unoist Approach" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007.
References
- Kincaid 2006.
- ^ Clarke 1989; Kincaid 2006.
- This chronology for the most part follows the one that can be found in 降旗節雄・伊藤誠共編『マルクス理論の再構築——宇野経済学をどう活かすか』社会評論社、2000年、311-12頁
- 宇野弘蔵『経済学を語る』東京大学出版会、1967年、15-20頁
External links
- Verified, continuously updated selected bibliography with links and materials. (Broken link. See partial fix for same link at end of page for Isaak Rubin. Also check for other pages re value form school likely to need same fix)
