Sorel's Early Marxism and Science

Abstract

This article sets out to explore both the original attraction of the work of Marx for Sorel and the precise nature of his early Marxism. Sorel saw Marxism as a science capable of providing a scientific understanding of economic activity and of discovering the ‘laws’ that ‘determined’ economic development. This was not an ‘orthodox’ position however. Sorel's understanding of scientific method was largely derived from Claude Bernard's Introduction à l'étude de la médecine expérimentale and once this has been perceived it becomes clear that Sorel did not adhere to a ‘determinist’ interpretation of Marx. The article concludes by showing the manner in which Sorel abandoned this assessment of Marx, while at the same time preserving his original faith in science.