Abstract
Karl Marx describes capitalist societies as characterized by alienation, exploitation and false consciousness. His ambition is, however, not to tell the workers how they ought to act, but to describe in social scientific fashion what force the labour movement actually is. Marx did not want to develop an ideal for reality to adhere to. However, I shall claim, that is exactly what he did.
Translated from Norwegian by Linn Elise Kjerland .
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Notes
- 1.
I thank Nils Gilje and Jonas Jakobsen for comments on this paper.
- 2.
In The German Ideology Marx writes: “Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence (marxist.org/german-ideology).”
- 3.
For a more extensive analysis of how Marx combines the three sources see Cohen (2000).
- 4.
The historical-biographical account in this introduction is based on Wheen (2001).
- 5.
An important new thinking of the concept of alienation may be found in Jaeggi (2005). The book will be published in English in 2014.
- 6.
In the afterword of the second edition of Capital Marx praises Hegel for having developed the principles of dialectics before pointing out that “With [Hegel ] it is standing on its head. It must be turned right side up again, if you would discover the rational kernel within the mystical shell” (Marx 2008b: 11).
- 7.
- 8.
Cohen has pointed to the analogy of a pregnant woman to explain the role political practice plays in realising the revolution. The pregnant woman knows that she will be giving birth, she will nevertheless need a midwife when the time comes. Capitalism is similarly pregnant with socialism , but the need is still there for proper politics in order to carry out a revolution (Cohen 2000: 43).
- 9.
This reflection makes it clear that Marx ’s concept of classes is more complex than so far described. I have noted above that Marx distinguishes between the owners of the means of production and those who are forced to sell their labour power. This is the most commonly used definition of classes. But here, as we have seen, Marx distinguishes between the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie and the working class. So Marx does not have a univocal definition of class. For a discussion of the concept of class see Elster (1988, chapter 7).
- 10.
The work, with the important subtitle of A Critique of Political Economy consists of three volumes, whereof only the first was published during Marx ’s lifetime (1863). The second volume was published in 1885, while the third appeared in 1894. Engels edited the two last volumes.
- 11.
Ideology is for Marx a false doctrine that serves the interests of the ruling classes. The aim of the critique of ideology is to reveal false doctrines. I do not have the space to treat this theme properly here. For an introduction see Elster (1988, chapter 9). For a historical and critical analysis of ideology critique see Rosen (1996).
- 12.
I am indebted to Wolff (2002) in my exposition here.
- 13.
There is no agreement between researchers regarding the relationship between Marx and Engels . Jon Elster finds it unacceptable to use statements from Engels in the interpretation of Marx , whereas Jonathan Wolff explicitly reads Marx through Engels .
- 14.
- 15.
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Pedersen, J. (2015). Karl Marx – A Utopian Socialist?. In: Fløistad, G. (eds) Philosophy of Justice. Contemporary Philosophy: A New Survey, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9175-5_16
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