WL writes:>>All the various Marxists writers, with few exceptions - like you, are partly to blame by defining Marxism as a philosophy. Nowhere can one find an ounce of philosophy in Marx most famous statements like the passages from the "Preface to A Contribution to A Critique . . ." where he speaks of the mode of production and productive forces, etc, Or his Critique of the Gotha Program or the Communist Manifesto. Or scores of other writings. Yet, Marxism is understood as a philosophy rather than a method and approach to demystification - standpoint. >>
Well, maybe, but just who was Marx addressing when he wrote ponderous academic and literary texts? He was a mostly unsuccessful bourgeois intellectual who, in an era with more political freedom and a mass university system, might have got an academic post (and then never sold a single journalistic piece). Your critique of philosophy sounds a lot like Wittgenstein. I would say that the only theory that is real is practice. People can tell you they are this or that they are that, but what they actually do can reveal a lot more than oratory or over-written texts. Much of this treatment of Marx and Marxism as philosophy is by default. If the study of political economy--and how many other activities falling under 'social science'--never really emerged as a rigorously scientific field, then what was it? Philosophy. Philosophy of a science still in formation. The other side of the coin is that, to the extent that Marxism is 'true' of the social realm, the less it matters what anyone thinks or believes. That is until you find yourself trying to lead a a real leftist opposition party capable of taking power in a country or find yourself caught up in power during a revolution. I don't think socialism is altogether that difficult a concept. We are all born socialists, and most of us die socialists. The problem is getting people to accept living the life in between as socialists. CJ _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
