What does Karl Marx’s masterwork, Capital, have in common with Dante’s Inferno? And more importantly, what can the book — which was written partly in debate with the socialist movements of its time — teach us today?

In his book Marx’s Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital, political theorist William Clare Roberts argues that Marx’s arguments are not simply about the economic inner workings of the system of capitalism but about building a world free from domination — a notion that has great political power today as we attempt to think about the politics of the future and how to get there.

In an interview on the California-based progressive radio show Against the Grain, radical journalist Sasha Lilley spoke with Roberts about Marx, Capital, and the politics of freedom. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.