The cumulation of accumulation: Theses and research agenda for 5000 years of world system history

Abstract

This essay argues that the world system began its development 5,000 years ago, rather than 500. Capital accumulation has been the motor/driving force of the world system's development since its beginning. We define the extent or bounding of the world system by reference to a systematic network of transfer of economic surplus among (political) regions, which links their "domestic systems" of exploitation and accumulation into an over-arching system of inter-penetrating and competitive super-accumulation. On these criteria, the world system developed from its origins in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus, into the "Asio-Afro-European ecumene" and incorporated the Western hemisphere after A.D 1500. Throughout its historical development, logistic inter-linkages among regions have been extremely important to world system extension and to the shifting pattern of power and accumulation. We examine the particularly crucial role of three logistical corridors through the "Middle East" which link the circum-Mediterranean world to Asia. We also posit the centrality of Central Asia to the development of the world system. The essay explores cycles and trends characterizing the development of the entire world system. Among these are its cycles of infra structural investment and technological innovation. These cycles are also related to competitive economic and military conflict patterns. We contend that the center-periphery-hinterland complex is the basic hierarchical ordering pattern of the world system. Much attention is given to the systemic relationship between "civilized" and "barbarian" peoples, which accounted for much of the overall system change. We introduce the notion of "modes of accumulation" in order to discuss shifts in the pattern of accumulation in the world system as a whole. A fundamental economy/polity contradiction exists throughout world systems development in that economic organization is more integrated and extended on a world system-wide level than is the political organization of the world system, which is more localized and regionalized. We examine a world system wide pattern of cycles of accumulation and hegemony, which centralizes accumulation on a world system-wide level and may contribute to the emergence of super-hegemony. Thus, we argue for attention to system-wide patterns and mutual causes rather than purely comparative analysis. There has been continuous and cumulative accumulation in world system history which is greater than the sum of its parts. Therefore, we require a world system-wide historical materialist political economy. Such an analysis must take economic, political, and cultural aspects of the overall world accumulation pattern into account. Our goal is a humano-centric study of world system history which identifies better bases for system-transforming socio-political praxis.