Capitalism,Democracy and Discrimination—The Rise and Decline of Racism in Cox's Caste,Class and Race 1

Abstract

In his book Caste, Class and Race, Oliver Cromwell Cox took positions on the link between capitalism and racism that appear contradictory; on the one hand he argues that racial exploitation emerged with the rise of capitalism, and on the other, that advancement of capitalism would reduce racial exploitation. This article analyzes this seeming contradiction from a Marxian perspective and argues that Cox failed to seriously consider the central organizing mechanism of capitalism—competition—to discuss the relation between capitalism and racism. To analyze race relations under any mode of production, the central organizing mechanism of that mode has to occupy a focal position. A failure to take account of that fact often results in political conclusions that, like Cox's, are divorced from theoretical analysis and thus are weak and impractical.