Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation

“Nevertheless, serfdom redefined the class relation in terms more favorable to the workers.”

Silvia Federici sees medieval working conditions as superior to previous circumstances under the Roman Empire and to later early modern working conditions. Medieval serfs were exploited, to be sure, but they did not face forced gang labor like Roman slaves. Moreover, serfs readily accessed land that provided them with sustenance, unlike early modern peasants after land expropriation took hold. 

“In the feudal village no social separation existed between the production of goods and the reproduction of the work-force; all work contributed to the family’s sustenance.” 

For working people, life in the medieval manor was fundamentally different from life under capitalism. Reproductive work held real value during the Middle Ages and primarily served the family. In contrast, reproductive work is valueless in capitalist societies, where women’s invisible labor goes unpaid, although capitalism depends on this labor because it provides a ready supply of workers, without which capitalism could not function.

“The monetization of economic life, then, did not benefit all peoples.”

Capitalists claim that the development of a money-economy was positive. However, this change caused divisions among peasants as some accrued more wealth than others, who were often left impoverished and dependent on community support.