John Hull and the money culture

Abstract

John Hull's recent educational writings have included several on what he calls the ‘money culture’. This is analysed and criticised in this article. Hull offers a Marxist and a neo‐Marxist account of the role of money in western societies utilising the labour theory of value, false consciousness and the materialist interpretation of history. It is contended here that the labour theory of value is fallacious and that false consciousness therefore lacks significant content: the problematic notion of ideology needs putting on a firm foundation, so teachers can see how best to liberate their student from a bogus spirituality. The materialist interpretation of history is held to be valuable, but not to the extent of invalidating, for example, past Christian hymns for present use. The surface manifestations of the money culture comprise legitimate areas of concern in education, such as popular materialism and economic competition on a world scale. These, it will be argued, can be treated in education, without assuming insecure Marxist foundations. Such areas of concern may properly be approached, in schools and with adults, by the impartial presentation of controversial issues and careful attention to moral values of the world's religious traditions.