Approaching Definitions - What is Capitalism?

In this initial reflection, we begin to approach a definition of that crucial term 'capitalism'. At first, we draw largely on the initial posing of the term by classical political economy and Marx's reading of it, then turning to the tensions between that account, and the colloquial manner in which the word 'capitalism' is often used. In the course of our considerations, it becomes evident both that the definition of capitalism will require both a clarification of prior 'presupposed' notions, and that it quickly opens up to engagement with other broader social and political questions.