Rent and Social Relations: A Reply to Clark

Abstract

This reply highlights the difference between those who think Marx's agricultural rent categories constitute an indissoluble element of all potential Marxist discussions of rent, and those who would argue that Marx's placing of rent relations in their social and historical context is the foundation of the Marxist approach to rent. Clark's comments, apart from some misinterpretations of the original article, clearly come from the ‘category fundamentalist’ camp. Reasons for objecting to such overemphasis on the categories are outlined, although it is pointed out that terminological differences alone might be one of the reasons for disagreement.