ABSTRACT
The theory of functional differentiation agrees with Karl Marx on the thesis of the differentiation of the capitalist economy, but asserts that the economy is not the only social subset that has undergone a process of self-sufficiency. The main challenge for a social science inspired by Marxism consists of theoretically ‘getting a grip on’ the development of capitalism as a central structuring characteristic of modern societies. The formation of capitalism—and Marx acts as a contemporary sociological analyst of his time—leads to the interest of the use value falling behind in comparison to the exchange value. Karl Polanyi emphasized that an unrestrained development of capitalism would lead to an ‘over-exploitation of the labor power’, and consequently to a ‘destruction of society’. In Post-Fordism, the internationalization of the financial market is accompanied by a special form of international division of labor.
