Abstract
This article seeks to interpret the meaning of communism as a negative utopian possibility; one that continually negates the present on the basis of that which ought to be different yet, despite its injustice, is proclaimed as truth. In the first section, through the prism of Adorno’s negative dialectics, Marx’s materialism is explored and criticised on the basis of the epistemological certainty that it assumes. In the process, the concept of class in particular will be scrutinised. Next, I draw on economic objectivity theory in order to formulate a conception of class that avoids the assigning of ontological value, and instead appears as a negative consequence of the false society. In the final section, I outline my understanding of communism as negative utopia, and explore how this may translate into a theory of praxis.
Highlights
This article seeks to interpret the meaning of communism as a negative utopian possibility; one that continually negates the present on the basis of that which ought to be different yet, despite its injustice, is proclaimed as truth
The spectre of communism, having long ceased to be a fear of the European elites, persists only in haunting the left’s exhausted longing for utopia; itself seemingly banished to the realm of dreams
The seizing of the political apparatus by the proletariat that was to come provided full justification that history was moving towards its resolution, whilst little thought had been given as to just how this utopian goal would be reached and how it ought to be approached
Summary
As is vividly expressed at the start of The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, where Marx famously asserted that ‘men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past’ (Marx 2008 [1869]; 15), the traditional Marxist approach to history laid stress on the construction of ideas and human consciousness according to the objective processes of production dominant at the historical moment in question. As modes of organisation are constructed and endured, the lived experience of those individuals subordinated to society comes into conflict with the division of labour and its very justification as a necessary condition in ensuring society’s efficient reproduction This permanent conflict forms the basis for the constitution of classes. Goes on to assert that the historical development of social formations relies on the postulation of the abolition of the old form of society in its entirety by the dominated class, and the seizure of political power as a means of representing its own interest as the general interest (see ibid.; 53). Class struggle is the incremental negation of the false society beginning first and foremost at the level of the individual’s lived experience and how it comes into conflict with that society’s mode of reproducing itself
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
