Kozo Uno

Kozo Uno
Kozo Uno, 1952
Born	(1897-11-12)November 12, 1897 Kurashiki
Died	February 22, 1977(1977-02-22) (aged 79) Kugenuma, Fujisawa
Nationality	Japanese
Academic career
Field	Political economy
School or tradition	Marxian economics, Marxist revisionism
Influences	Hegel, Marx, Sombart, Kautsky, Hilferding, Lenin, Weber, Ōuchi Hyōe, Sakisaka Itsurō

Kozo Uno (宇野うの 弘蔵こうぞう, Uno Kōzō, November 12, 1897 – February 22, 1977) was a Japanese economist and is considered one of the most important theorists on the field of Marx's theory of value.

He is an influential Marxist economist in Japan, where his school of thought is called the Uno School (Uno gakuha) . His main work Principles of Economics [経済けいざい原論げんろん] was published in 1950-52. Among his scholars are Thomas T. Sekine and Makoto Itoh.

Thought

Uno based his work on a rigorously Hegelian reading of Marx's Capital. This led him to his well-known conclusion that Marxian analysis had to be conducted at three separate levels:

1. Theory of Principles [原理げんり論ろん]: The "pure" theory of Capital, freed from the complications of history – highly abstract exercises in dialectical logic on the basic, core dynamics of capitalist economy.
2. Theory of Stages [段階だんかい論ろん]: A "middle" level, which traces the general development of capitalism through distinct historical stages – mercantilism, classical liberalism and so on.
3. Analysis of the Present [現状げんじょう分析ぶんせき]: The analysis of the 'messy' details of capitalist economy in the real world, concentrating on particular narratives rather than an overall picture.

Uno and his followers have come in for criticism from the wider Marxist tradition for insisting on this separation. Simon Clarke sees this schema as "scholastic formalism", and the second level as an arbitrary addition to provide a link between the other two, rather than an analytically necessary one. As Kincaid points out, though, Capital is primarily a logically rather than chronologically argued work, which looks at the laws of capitalist development and draws mainly supporting evidence from historical data. Thus, the separation of the Uno school represents an acknowledgement of this logical nature, and registers the key problem of how the critique can be linked to actual economic development in a way that competing schools often cannot.

Chronology

1897

• November 12 — Born in Kurashiki Town, Okayama Prefecture [岡山おかやま県けん倉敷くらしき町まち]

1915

• March — Graduates from Okayama Prefectural Takahashi Middle School [岡山おかやま県立けんりつ高梁たかはし中学校ちゅうがっこう]
• July — Enrolls at the Sixth Higher School [第だい六ろく高等こうとう学校がっこう]

1918

• June — Graduates from the Sixth Higher School
• July — Enrolls in the German Law section at the Faculty of Law, Tokyo Imperial University [東京とうきょう帝国ていこく大学だいがく法科ほうか大学だいがく独どく法科ほうか] but soon transfers to the Economics section

1921

• April — Graduates from Economics section at the Faculty of Economics, Tokyo Imperial University [東京とうきょう帝国ていこく大学だいがく経済学部けいざいがくぶ経済けいざい学科がっか]
• May — Becomes a non-regular employee [嘱託しょくたく] at the Ōhara Institute for Social Research [大原おおはら社会しゃかい問題もんだい研究所けんきゅうじょ]

1922

• July 2 — Marries Takano Maria [高野たかのマリア]
• September — Leaves for Europe to research economics, residing mainly in Berlin

1922-24

• Resigns from the Ōhara Institute for Social Research
• Enrolls at the University of Berlin and attends a few lectures by Werner Sombart, Hermann Schumacher, Ernst Wagemann, Heinrich Cunow and Gustav Mayer, but does not study under anyone and mainly studies by himself
• Attends a SPD conference (where Hilferding was present) with Sakisaka Itsurō, goes to socialist and communist meetings, reads Vorwärts and Die Rote Fahne
• Focusses on studying Marx's Capital along with the recently published German edition of Lenin's Imperialism, but finds Lukács's History and Class Consciousness and Korsch's Marxism and Philosophy "too ideological"

1924

• September — Returns to Japan; brings back Hilferding's Finance Capital and studies it
• October — Appointed as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and Literature, Tohoku Imperial University [東北とうほく帝国ていこく大学だいがく法文学部ほうぶんがくぶ]

1925

• September — Becomes responsible for the Economics III module (Theory of Economy Policy) [経済けいざい学がく第だい三さん講座こうざ (経済けいざい政策せいさく論ろん)] at Tohoku Imperial University

1930

• June — Debut article 'The Necessity of Money: Hilferding's Monetary Theory Reconsidered' [貨幣かへいの必然ひつぜん性せい——ヒルファディングの貨幣かへい理論りろん再さい考察こうさつ] published in the journal Shakai Kagaku [社会しゃかい科学かがく]

1938

• February — Arrested in Sendai in connection with the so-called Rōnōha Professors Incident [労農ろうのう派は教授きょうじゅグループ事件じけん] and remains in custody until May
• December — Indicted under the National Security Law [治安ちあん維持いじ法ほう] and ordered to take a leave of absence

1939

• October — Ruled not guilty in the first hearing at the Sendai District Court

1940

• December — Ruled not guilty in the second hearing at the Miyagi Court of Appeal

1941

• January — Reinstatement is approved by the Committee of Professors [教授きょうじゅ会かい] of the Faculty of Law and Literature, Tohoku Imperial University, but declines and resigns
• March — Employed at the Institute for Japanese Trade at the Japan Trade Promotion Association [財団ざいだん法人ほうじん日本にっぽん貿易ぼうえき振興しんこう協会きょうかい日本にっぽん貿易ぼうえき研究所けんきゅうじょ]

1944

• June — Resigns from the Institute for Japanese Trade at the Japan Trade Promotion Association
• July — Employed at the Mitsubishi Economic Research Institute [財団ざいだん法人ほうじん三菱みつびし経済けいざい研究所けんきゅうじょ]

1946

• March — Becomes a lecturer at Tohoku Imperial University

1947

• January — Resigns from the Mitsubishi Economic Research Institute and becomes a non-regular employee [嘱託しょくたく] at the Institute of Social Science, Tokyo Imperial University [東京とうきょう帝国ていこく大学だいがく社会しゃかい科学かがく研究所けんきゅうじょ]
• June — Appointed as a Professor at Tokyo Imperial University and employed at their Institute of Social Science

1949

• June — Appointed as the Director [所長しょちょう] of the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo

1952

• February — Resigns as Director from the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo

1953

• January — Becomes a Secretary [理事りじ] of the Institute of Statistical Research [財団ざいだん法人ほうじん統計とうけい研究けんきゅう会かい]
• May — Given a role at the Social Science section at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo [東京大学とうきょうだいがく大学院だいがくいん社会しゃかい科学かがく研究けんきゅう科か] and becomes responsible for their theoretical economics and history of economics courses [理論りろん経済けいざい学がく・経済けいざい史学しがく専門せんもん課程かてい]

1954

• December — Receives a doctorate in economics

1958

• March — Resigns from the University of Tokyo after reaching their mandatory retirement age
• April — Appointed as a Professor at the Department of Sociology, Hosei University

1968

• March — Resigns as Professor from Hosei University
• April — Becomes a lecturer for the Social Science section of the Graduate School of Hosei University [法政大学ほうせいだいがく大学院だいがくいん社会しゃかい科学かがく研究けんきゅう科か]
• Junes — Becomes a non-regular employee [嘱託しょくたく] at the Institute for Economic Research, Rissho University [立正大学りっしょうだいがく経済けいざい研究所けんきゅうじょ]

1969

• March — Resigns as lecturer from the Graduate School of Hosei University

1972

• March — Resigns as non-regular employee from the Institute for Economic Research, Rissho University
• May 21 — Suffers a stroke and is bedridden thereafter

1977

• February 22 — Dies at home in Kugenuma, Fujisawa City [藤沢ふじさわ市し鵠沼くげぬま]

Publications

As author

• Theory of Economic Policy, Vol. 1 [経済けいざい政策せいさく論ろん 上巻じょうかん] (Kōbundō [弘文こうぶん堂どう], 1936; reprinted 1948; 2nd ed. 1954; reprinted in SW7).
  • In the 1954 edition, "Vol. 1" was dropped from the title.
• Prolegomena to the Agrarian Question [農業のうぎょう問題もんだい序論じょろん] (Kaizōsha [改造かいぞう社しゃ], 1947; 2nd ed. Aoki Shoten [青木あおき書店しょてん], 1965; reprinted in SW8; reprinted Kobushi Bunko [こぶし文庫ぶんこ], 2014).
• Theory of Value [価値かち論ろん] (Kawade Shobō [河出かわで書房しょぼう], 1947; reprinted Aoki Shoten [青木あおき書店しょてん], 1965; reprinted in SW3; reprinted Kobushi Bunko [こぶし文庫ぶんこ], 1996).
• Introduction to Capital [資本しほん論ろん入門にゅうもん] (Hakujitsu Shoin [白日はくじつ書院しょいん], 1948; 2nd. ed. Sōgen Bunko [創そう元もと文庫ぶんこ], 1952; reprinted Aoki Shoten [青木あおき書店しょてん], 1968; reprinted in SW6; reprinted Kōdansha Gakujutsu Bunko [講談社こうだんしゃ学術がくじゅつ文庫ぶんこ], 1977).
  • A reader's guide to Capital, Vol. 1.
• Studies on Capital [資本しほん論ろんの研究けんきゅう] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1949; reprinted in SW3).
• Introduction to Capital, Vol. 2 [資本しほん論ろん入門にゅうもん 第だい二に巻かん解説かいせつ] (Hakujitsu Sho'in [白日はくじつ書院しょいん], 1949; reprinted in SW6; reprinted Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1977).
• Principles of Economics [経済けいざい原論げんろん] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1950–52; reprinted in SW1).
  • Published in 2 volumes. "経済けいざい原論げんろん" is the same title as Marshall's Principles of Economics in Japanese.
• For Social Science [社会しゃかい科学かがくのために] (Kōbundō [弘文こうぶん堂どう], 1952; most of it reprinted in SW9-10).
• Studies on the Theory of Value [価値かち論ろんの研究けんきゅう] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1952; reprinted in SW3).
• Theory of Crisis [恐慌きょうこう論ろん] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1953; reprinted in SW5; reprinted Iwanami Bunko [岩波いわなみ文庫ぶんこ], 2010).
• Capital and Socialism [『資本しほん論ろん』と社会しゃかい主義しゅぎ] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1954; reprinted in SW10; reprinted Kobushi Bunko [こぶし文庫ぶんこ], 1995).
• Studies on the Principles of Marxist Economics [マルクス経済けいざい学がく原理げんり論ろんの研究けんきゅう] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1959; reprinted in SW4).
• Methodology of Economics [経済けいざい学がく方法ほうほう論ろん] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1962; reprinted in SW9).
• Economics Seminar, Vol. 1: Method of Economics [経済けいざい学がくゼミナール1 経済けいざい学がくの方法ほうほう] (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai [法政大学ほうせいだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1963).
• Economics Seminar, Vol. 2: Issues in the Theory of Value [経済けいざい学がくゼミナール2 価値かち論ろんの問題もんだい点てん] (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai [法政大学ほうせいだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1963).
• Economics Seminar, Vol. 3: Problems of the Theory of Crisis and the Theory of Commercial Profit [経済けいざい学がくゼミナール3 恐慌きょうこう論ろん・商業しょうぎょう利潤りじゅん論ろんの諸しょ問題もんだい] (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai [法政大学ほうせいだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1963).
• Principles of Economics [経済けいざい原論げんろん] (Iwanami Zensho [岩波いわなみ全書ぜんしょ], 1964; reprinted in SW2; reprinted Iwanami Bunko [岩波いわなみ文庫ぶんこ], 2016).
  • The abridged but revised edition of the 1950-52 Principles of Economics.
• Fundamental Problems of Social Science [社会しゃかい科学かがくの根本こんぽん問題もんだい] (Aoki Shoten [青木あおき書店しょてん], 1966; reprinted in SW9-10).
• Discussion on Economics [経済けいざい学がくを語かたる] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1967).
• Economics as Social Science [社会しゃかい科学かがくとしての経済けいざい学がく] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1969; most of it reprinted in SW9-10; reprinted Chikuma Gakugei Bunko [ちくま学芸がくげい文庫ぶんこ], 2016).
• Problems of Marxist Economics [マルクス経済けいざい学がくの諸しょ問題もんだい] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1969; Part 1 reprinted in SW4, Part 2 in SW10).
• Economic Theory of Capital [資本しほん論ろんの経済けいざい学がく] (Iwanami Shinsho [岩波いわなみ新書しんしょ], 1969; reprinted in SW6).
• Fifty Years with Capital [資本しほん論ろん五ご十じゅう年ねん] (Hōsei Daigaku Shuppankai [法政大学ほうせいだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1970–73).
  • Published in 2 volumes. In interviews, Uno details his intellectual biography.
• Theory of Economic Policy [経済けいざい政策せいさく論ろん] (Kōbundō [弘文こうぶん堂どう], 1971; reprinted in SW7).
  • The revised edition of the 1936 Theory of Economic Policy.
• Utility of Economics [経済けいざい学がくの効用こうよう] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1972).
• Selected Works of Uno Kōzō [宇野うの弘蔵こうぞう著作ちょさく集しゅう] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1973–74).
  • Published in 11 volumes [SW].
• Learning from Capital [資本しほん論ろんに学まなぶ] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1975; reprinted Chikuma Gakugei Bunko [ちくま学芸がくげい文庫ぶんこ], 2015).
• Capital and Me [『資本しほん論ろん』と私わたし] (Ochanomizu Shobō [御茶おちゃの水みず書房しょぼう], 2008).

As co-author

• Uno Kōzō and Umemoto Katsumi [梅本うめもと克己かつみ], Social Science and the Dialectic [社会しゃかい科学かがくと弁証法べんしょうほう] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1976; reprinted Kobushi Bunko [こぶし文庫ぶんこ], 2006).
• Uno Kōzō, Ōuchi Tsutomu [大内おおうち力つとむ] and Ōshima Kiyoshi [大島おおしま清きよし], Capitalism: Its Development and Structure [資本しほん主義しゅぎ——その発達はったつと構造こうぞう] (Kadokawa Sensho [角川かどかわ選書せんしょ], 1978).
• Uno Kōzō and Fuji'i Hiroshi [藤井ふじい洋ひろし], The Archetype of Modern Capitalism [現代げんだい資本しほん主義しゅぎの原型げんけい] (Kobushi Bunko [こぶし文庫ぶんこ], 1997).

As editor

• Studies on the Bloc Economy as Seen through the Sugar Industry [糖とう業ぎょうより見みたる広域こういき経済けいざいの研究けんきゅう] (Kurita Shoten [栗田くりた書店しょてん], 1944).
  • "広域こういき経済けいざい" is the Japanese translation of 'Großraumwirtschaft'.
• Lectures on the Principles of Economics [経済けいざい原論げんろん 経済けいざい学がく演習えんしゅう講座こうざ] (Seirin Shoin [青あお林りん書院しょいん], 1955; 2nd ed. Seirin Shoin Shinsha [青あお林りん書院しょいん新しん社しゃ], 1969; Q&A section reprinted in SW2).
• Economics [経済けいざい学がく] (Kadokawa Zensho [角川かどかわ全書ぜんしょ], 1956; reprinted Kadokawa Sophia Bunko [角川かどかわソフィア文庫ぶんこ], 2019).
  • Published in 2 volumes.
• Studies on Land Tax Reform [地租ちそ改正かいせいの研究けんきゅう] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1957–58).
  • Published in 2 volumes.
• The Present State of the Rural Economy in Japan under Economic Stability [日本にっぽん農村のうそん経済けいざいの実態じったい——経済けいざい安定あんてい下かにおける] (Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai [東京大学とうきょうだいがく出版しゅっぱん会かい], 1961).
• Capital Studies, Vol. 1: Commodity, Money and Capital [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう1 商品しょうひん・貨幣かへい・資本しほん] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1967).
• Capital Studies, Vol. 2: Surplus Value and Accumulation [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう2 剰余じょうよ価値かち・蓄積ちくせき] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1967).
• Capital Studies, Vol. 3: Distribution Process of Capital [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう3 資本しほんの流通りゅうつう過程かてい] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1967).
• Capital Studies, Vol. 4: Production Price and Profit [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう4 生産せいさん価格かかく・利潤りじゅん] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1968).
• Capital Studies, Vol. 5: Interest and Rent [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう5 利子りし・地代じだい] (Chikuma Shobō [筑摩書房ちくましょぼう], 1968).

As co-editor

• Capital Studies: Commodity and Process of Exchange [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう——商品しょうひん及交換こうかん過程かてい] (Kawade Shobō [河出かわで書房しょぼう], 1948).
• Capital Studies: Process of Distribution [資本しほん論ろん研究けんきゅう——流通りゅうつう過程かてい] (Kawade Shobō [河出かわで書房しょぼう], 1949).
• Studies on Marxist Economics: Festschrift for Prof. Ōuchi Hyōe on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday, Vol. 1 [マルクス経済けいざい学がくの研究けんきゅう——大内おおうち兵衛ひょうえ先生せんせい還暦かんれき記念きねん論ろん文集ぶんしゅう（上うえ）] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1953).
• The World Economy and the Japanese Economy: Festschrift for Prof. Ōuchi Hyōe on the Occasion of His Sixtieth Birthday, Vol. 2 [世界せかい経済けいざいと日本にっぽん経済けいざい——大内おおうち兵衛ひょうえ先生せんせい還暦かんれき記念きねん論ろん文集ぶんしゅう（下した）] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1956).
• Japanese Capitalism and Agriculture [日本にっぽん資本しほん主義しゅぎと農業のうぎょう] (Iwanami Shoten [岩波書店いわなみしょてん], 1959).
• Dictionary of Capital [資本しほん論ろん辞典じてん] (Aoki Shoten [青木あおき書店しょてん], 1961).

As translator

• Friedrich Engels, 'Über historischen Materialismus' [史的してき唯物ゆいぶつ論ろんについて], Marx-Engels Complete Works, Vol. 12 [マルクス＝エンゲルス全集ぜんしゅう 第だい十じゅう二に巻かん] (Kaizōsha [改造かいぞう社しゃ], 1928).
• Karl Marx, 'Die moralisierende Kritik und die kritisierende Moral' [道学どうがく的てき批判ひはんと批判ひはん学がく的てき道徳どうとく], Marx-Engels Complete Works, Vol. 3 [マルクス＝エンゲルス全集ぜんしゅう 第だい三さん巻かん] (Kaizōsha [改造かいぞう社しゃ], 1929).
• Walter Bagehot, Lombard Street [ロンバード街がい——ロンドンの金融きんゆう市場いちば] (Iwanami Bunko [岩波いわなみ文庫ぶんこ], 1941).

Uno's works in English translation

• Principles of Political Economy: Theory of a Purely Capitalist Society, trans. Thomas T. Sekine (Brighton: The Harvester Press, 1980).
  • Translation of the abridged 1964 Iwanami Zensho edition of Principles of Economics.
• The Types of Economic Policies under Capitalism, trans. Thomas T. Sekine, ed. John R. Bell (Leiden: Brill, 2016).
  • Translation of the 1971 edition of Theory of Economic Policy.
• Theory of Crisis, trans. Ken C. Kawashima (Leiden: Brill, 2020).

Bibliography

Books

• Joe, Hyeon-soo (1995). Politische Ökonomie als Gesellschaftstheorie. Studien zur Marx-Rezeption von Isaak Iljitsch Rubin und Kozo Uno (in German). Marburg: Diss. Philipps-Universität.
• Louisa Lange, Elena (2021). Value without Fetish: Uno Kōzō's Theory of 'Pure Capitalism' in Light of Marx's Critique of Political Economy. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-44990-9. JSTOR 10.1163/j.ctv1v7zbws.

Essays

• Clarke, Simon (March 1989). "The Basic Theory of Capitalism: A Critique of Itoh and the Uno School" (PDF). Capital and Class. 37. doi:10.1177/030981688903700108. S2CID 145736353. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2016.
• Foster, John Bellamy. "Marxism and the Uno School. The Basic Theory of Capitalism: The Forms and Substance of the Capitalist Economy by Makoto Itoh". Archived from the original on 2007-03-10.
• Kincaid, J. (2006). "Finance, Trust and the Power of Capital". Historical Materialism. 14 (1). Brill: 31–48. doi:10.1163/156920606776690992.
• Kubota, Ken (2020). "The Dialectical Presentation of the General Notion of Capital in the Light of Hegel's Philosophy: On the Logical Analysis of Political Economy with Special Consideration of Adorno and the Research Results of Rubin, Backhaus, Reichelt, Uno, and Sekine" (PDF). Revista Dialectus. 9 (18): 39–65. doi:10.4444/100.100.
• Pozo, Luis M. "Dialectics and Deconstruction in Political Economy". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Saraka, Sean. "Review of Albritton's "Dialectics and Deconstruction in Political Economy"". Archived from the original on 2006-10-12. Retrieved 2006-08-27. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Sekine, Thomas T. (1975). "Uno-Riron: A Japanese Contribution to Marxian Political Economy". Journal of Economic Literature. 13: 847–877. doi:10.4444/34.100.
• Simoulidis, John. "Levels of Analysis and the Concept of Interest: an Unoist Approach" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007.

External links

• Verified, continuously updated selected bibliography with links and materials. (Broken link. See partial fix for same link at end of page for Isaak Rubin. Also check for other pages re value form school likely to need same fix)