In this important work, which aims to change some of the paradigms from which we understand the history of the world and its structure, Kōjin Karatani intends to reread Marx’s theory but shifting the focus from the criticism of the modes of production towards the configuration of different ‘modes of exchange’. The author thus seeks to unravel the capital-nation-state triad, an intertwined system that constitutes the dominant form of modern global societies. His work, however, does not merely stop at the description and analysis of this system, but also addresses different possibilities for its evolution.

Presented by a provocative prologue by Fredric Jameson, Structure of the history of the world reviews in a historical and conceptual way different modes of exchange: among them appear the sharing of resources characteristic of nomadic tribes, the systems of exchange of gifts developed after the adoption of agriculture, the exchange of obedience by protection that arises with the appearance of the State, the exchanges of commodities that characterize capitalism and, finally, a (possible) future mode of exchange To carry out these tasks, Karatani goes to the works of fundamental thinkers such as Kant, Hegel, Hobbes, Mauss, among others.

This book is the cornerstone of Karatani’s brilliant career, while pointing out new directions in his thinking. Covered by proposals from various disciplines, Structure of the history of the world challenges conventional wisdom and offers new perspectives on the dynamics of human progress. It is an essential reading for historians, economists, philosophers, academics in general and for every person interested in the underlying structures that have shaped our world. In this way, Karatani’s work invites his readers to an enlightening journey through the time and structure vericuets that sustain it.