Propositions to a Marxist Theory of Personality

Abstract

In the absence of a comprehensive Marxist theory of personality, this article sets out propositions believed to be fundamental to the articulation of such a theory. They comprise five premises relevant to the ontological nature of the person and four underlying expressive personality characteristics. Differences between the proposed theory and traditional theories are illustrated on such dimensions as sociohistorical influence, the nature of individuality, and the conception of conscious-unconscious processes. In a period when traditional personality theories seem even more splintered and unsatisfactory than in earlier eras, a Marxist theory covers much of the major territory of other theories while presenting a consistent meta-physic and showing itself decidedly humanistic.