ABSTRACT
The emergence of the nation-state in the 18th century spawned various paradigms that needed to rationalize why some people experience privilege while most do not. Adam Smith conceptualized a system of capitalism that incorporated private property as an engine for the production of surplus value. The vocabulary and values of modernization continue to dominate the contemporary literature of “development studies” to this day. Adam Smith conceptualized that “the accumulation of stock must, in the nature of things, be previous to the division of labour”. The methods used historically to overcome poverty and to generate development begin with “primitive accumulation.” The bourgeoisie relies upon the state to implement the conditions necessary for primitive accumulation, and to regulate the terms of employment that bind employers and employees. The association between capitalism and slavery is also related to drugs.
