For the economy, capital is one of the productive factors.
Capital is that which belongs to or relates to the head . The word comes from the Latin capitalis , which in turn derives from the term caput ( “head” ).
In Christianity , the capital sins are those that are the beginning (the head) of others, such as lust , gluttony , sloth , greed , anger, envy and pride .
Capital punishment
On the other hand, capital punishment or death penalty refers to the execution of a convicted person by state authorities.
This penalty is applied as punishment for a crime considered very serious, such as a crime with aggravating circumstances.
The main city
At the population level, the capital is the main city of a state , province or district. For example, the capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires ; the capital of Spain is Madrid ; the capital of Uruguay is Montevideo .
It is common for the capital to be the most populated city in the territory in question. However, this is not always the case: Brasilia is the capital of Brazil , with the largest population in São Paulo .
Although the characteristics depend on each country, it is common for a national capital to have a large urban development and a very extensive infrastructure. These metropolises are often crossed by highways, have bus and metro lines and offer easy access to an airport that connects them to the rest of the world.
Capital cities often provide numerous municipal services to the population, improving the quality of life of their citizens, who can meet educational, health and other needs without having to travel.
It is also common for the main government bodies and institutions to be located in the capital, such as the Congress or Parliament , the Legislature and any other type of government building, in addition to the Mayor's Office or Municipality .
In the centre of a capital city there are usually many shops and cultural establishments, such as cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and museums.
Capital in the economy
In the field of economics , capital is one of the productive factors (along with labor and land).
In general, the term is used to designate an amount of money that can be lent or invested: "I have a capital of 10,000 dollars to invest" , "At this time, the company's capital is limited to 50,000 pesos and nothing more" .
The gaze of Karl Marx
“Capital” (“The Capital”, en su idioma original) es un libro de Karl Marx dedicado a la crítica de la economía política. Marx sólo publicó en vida el primer tomo del libro, mientras que los otros dos fueron editados por su colaborador y amigo Friedrich Engels.
Marx was born in Germany on 5 May 1818 and died in the United Kingdom on 14 March 1883. He is remembered for having been an essential thinker who marked a before and after in the way in which humanity understands the processes of production and social hierarchies . Marx worked alongside Engels and both laid the foundations of communism : these ideas were captured in "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto" .
As the German thinker expresses it in this book, the concept of capital refers to the value that is valued and explains that money in a productive process is "something" that allows its possessor (the owner of the means of production ) to obtain a greater amount of it in future productions.
This money can be used to buy raw materials and machinery more suitable for producing more in less time and, at the same time, to buy labor (or in Marxist terms, work force ; that is, to hire workers).
Thus, as time goes by and the point is reached where the acquired machinery is so worn out that it needs to be replaced , the contracts have ended and it is necessary to buy more raw materials , the balance between the investment will be made and certain profits obtained from production will be noted. Hence, it is understood that it is a value that is revalued, because it generates more profit and therefore it is as if it were worth more in itself.
Karl Marx reflected on the nature of capital.
Capital and social classes
Marx argued that this capital was responsible for the existence of different social classes in a society, where one group took over the work of others (because they had more money and could hire them) to exploit the means of production. However, if there were a revolution where the production process had no owner, we could live in a utopian and balanced society .
In conclusion, for Marx, capital should be something that was owned by everyone, because in this way social classes and the favoritism of the rich over the poor could be eliminated. This idea is approved by many people; however, it has not been put into practice because we live in a complex world and all those who try to carry the flag of Marxism end up falling into the clutches of ambition and abuse of power .