Put Brake on Capitalism, Says Popular Marxist Book Author

Osaka, May 11 (Jiji Press)--Kohei Saito, author of a Marxist book popular in Japan, has called for applying "an emergency brake" to capitalism, which he says is responsible for the global climate crisis and widening economic gaps.

"We need to apply an emergency brake to capitalism, which is the primary cause of the climate crisis and unequal society, and achieve degrowth," said Saito, who wrote the book "Capital in the Anthropocene," in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

The book has sold more than 250,000 copies since its publication in September last year. It also won a major book award from noted publisher Chuokoron-Shinsha Inc. in February this year.

In his book, Saito, a 34-year-old associate professor at Osaka City University who specializes in economic thought, offers a new interpretation of the ideas of German philosopher and economist Karl Marx, known for his 19th-century book "Capital."

Saito's book has attracted interest internationally. An English version is being prepared.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]