Marx and Engels on law, crime and morality

Abstract

The paper starts from a critique of the adoption of ‘Marxism’ by radical deviancy theorists. Its object is to demonstrate that there is not, and cannot be, a ‘Marxist’ theory of deviance. Marx's position on crime and the law is examined in relation to three distinct periods of his work—the Kantian, Feuerbachian and Historical Materialist periods. It is demonstrated that the three periods entail very different epistemological positions and that the third represents a critique and a rejection of the former two. The remainder of the paper demonstrates Marx and Engel's post-1844 positions on law and crime which derive from: i. their political views and objectives, ii. The analysis of modes of production.