Caliban and the Witch is a history of the female and colonized body during the transition to capitalism. Starting from the peasant uprisings of the late Middle Ages and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici examines the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction. She demonstrates how the struggle against the resistance of body and spirit is a fundamental condition for two basic principles of social organization: the development of labor power and the control over one's own self. Now in its fourth edition with a new preface by the author! This vividly written study is an essential complement to Marx's depiction of enclosure and an important step towards a renewed reflection on the emergence and nature of capitalist relations.