Definitions HQ

Interest (n.) where ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the peasant is not yet subsumed under capital can swallow the whole surplus labour and part of the wage besides, so a high rate there is more than profit.

Interest (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠nothing but a special name, a special title, for the part of profit the functioning capitalist must hand to the capital's owner instead of pocketing it himself.

Interest (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the price of capital is a completely irrational expression, a commodity with a double value, a price qualitatively distinct from its value.

Interest (n.) was ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠tied by Karl Arnd to the 3-4 per cent yearly growth of European forests — a 'primordial forest rate of interest', as if trees grew independently of exchange-value.

Interest (n.) differs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠from wages and profit: there, a qualitative difference between labour and capital produces the quantitative split; here, a merely quantitative split of the same surplus produces a qualitative difference.

Interest (n.) exists ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠only because capitalists split into money capitalists and industrial capitalists; if all capital were in industrial hands, there would be no interest and no rate of interest.

Interest (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠so ossified into an independent source that it took until the mid-eighteenth century — Massie, then Hume — to discover it was only a part of profit, and that such a discovery was needed at all.

Interest (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in quality, the surplus-value capital yields as simple ownership, even while its owner stays outside the production process.

Interest (n.) and ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠profit of enterprise exist only in their antithesis: they relate to each other, not to the surplus-value of which both are mere parts.

Interest (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a relationship between two capitalists, not between capitalist and worker — the antithetical character of capital expressed in a form that wipes the antithesis out.

Interest (n.) comes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to look like capital's original fruit, and profit like a mere accessory and trimming — the capital fetish is then complete.

Interest (n.) accrues ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠whether money is asleep or awake, at home or abroad, by day or by night — the hoarder's most fervent wish come true.

Interest (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be paid, in speculative times, not from profits but out of the borrowed capital itself — a state of affairs that can last a long while.

Interest (n.) when ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠capitalism was young and land was respectable was defended by likening it to rent, the converse of defending rent by likening it to interest.

Interest (n.) on ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠capital sunk in land becomes pure rent the moment that capital is paid off — otherwise the same capital would have to lead a double existence.

Interest (n.) becomes, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in the formula capital-interest, the occult quality of a value unequal to itself: 100 shillings that are somehow 110.

Interest (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the one division settled by competition alone, because two owners of the same factor — capital — are splitting one share between them.