Individualism Is Stupid ( Or Why Libertarianism And Objectivism Is Stupid)

[vulcanlogician]

To be a capitalist, is to have not only a purely personal, but a social status in production. Capital is a collective product, and only by the united action of many members, nay, in the last resort, only by the united action of all members of society, can it be set in motion.

Capital is therefore not only personal; it is a social power.

Why is capital necessarily a 'collective product'? Is this referring to how capital is produced or used?

Short answer: how it is produced.

Marx is criticizing the term "individual" being used as a euphemism for bourgeois dominance. He was just noting that it takes a "collective" of sorts to mass produce something. The capitalist is given "the credit" for the success of his company, but he needed a whole bunch of workers (including children, who worked in factories instead of being educated in Marx's day). On top of that, the capitalist needs roads, police to enforce laws, and all kinds of other infrastructure in order to do business. To Marx, capitalism itself is collectivism of sorts, and simply by being a wealthy business owner, one's livelihood is indirectly supported by a number of public ventures.