Theory of Surplus Value - Pt. 1 Author:Karl Marx THEORIES OF SURPLUS VALUE is the fourth volume in Karl Marx's (1818-1883) monumental work, DAS KAPITAL (CAPITAL). Divided into three parts, this compelling work reviews classic economic analyses of labor and value (Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas R. Malthus, and others), focusing on the concept of surplus value--the difference between th... more »e full value of a worker's labor and the wages received for that labor. This is a key concept for Marx, since capitalism maintains its power through controlling surplus value.« less