Critique Of Capitalism Research Articles

The Essence of Marxism and Anarchism from the Labour Theory of Value to the Critique of Political Economy

ABSTRACT The ills of global capitalism, the critical issues of climate change, global warming, and environmental justice, have all collectively continued to generate concerns, with the world itching for alternate ideological solutions. This article aims to provide a comprehensive critique of the amalgamation of Anarchism and Marxism as a theoretical framework for addressing contemporary world development challenges. While both ideologies share common ground in their critique of capitalism, this paper argues that their synthesis even though may fall short in adequately addressing the complexities of today's globalised and interconnected world might offer a realistic pathway to the contradictions of capitalism. To this end, this study interrogates the Marx-Proudhon debate on three major areas of differences or similarities, namely, (1) The Tyranny of Exchange Value; (2) Crisis in the Evolution of Capitalism and (3) Method of intervention; and their response to contemporary challenges. The method of analysis is essentially historical, providing an in-depth critique of the theoretical standpoint of both ideologies. We conclude that scholarly solutions to current global challenges should be approached with a view to adequately situate them within the ideological context. Thus a return to the Marx-Proudhon debate provides a path forward in our search for alternatives to capital.

Knowledge Tools for Communication and the Profit Motive

This article explores the limits and risks of the domination of the profit ideology outside the economic field, especially in universities and scientific research. The ideology of profit, which starts from relativist premises, justifies its domination by rejecting any kind of radical ideology. As such, the ideology of profit has a totalitarian character. Given that the market instrumentalizes both university training and scientific research, challenging the ideology of profit requires theories and methods that do not correspond to the logic of profit, but instead enable a radical critique of capitalism.

Introduction: Marxifying IR, IRifying Marxism

Although the neglect of Marxism has been a pervasive characteristic of IR theory, there has been a marked revival of interest in Marxism. Marx’s materialist insights into the general historical development of societies, as well as his critique of capitalism and political economy, have served as alternative starting points for different critical approaches to IR and offers a welcome alternative to neorealism, constructivism, and poststructuralism that have dominated IR for several decades. Marxism provides a redefinition of IR by focusing on changes in material circumstances, historical conditions, and society instead of assuming unchanging and fixed structures of anarchy or the state. Marx’s analysis and insights into the dynamics of international relations have become even more important given the ongoing crisis of neoliberal capitalism, the rise of authoritarianism, right-wing nationalist populisms, and the racial and gendered subordinations accompanying them pointing to the importance of Marxifying IR and IRifying Marxism.

Algumas notas sobre a relação entre Adorno e a Epistemologia do Sul

This paper aims to develop an understanding of how the culture industry still operates in the postcolonial era. To this end, the first part of this paper will look at Adorno and Horkheimer’s reading of modernity, touching on how instrumental reasoning can lend itself to barbarism, along with an exposition of Adorno’s analysis of the culture industry. The second part will present decolonial theory, its critique of European modernity and, particularly, its focus on neo-imperialism. This theory will then be put alongside critical theory, analyzing their differences concerning racial issues and how their critique of capitalism may represent a meeting point between the two theories. Finally, the conclusion will consider all previous elements to explain the connection between the Culture industry and its current strategy in former colonial areas.

The Contradiction between Use-Value and Exchange-Value: Ecology, Imperialism, and the Telos of Production

This article elaborates and defends a critique of capitalism which, despite its appearance in various bodies of work, has not been named or systematically differentiated. The critique locates a contradiction between production for use-value and production for exchange-value, or a contradiction in what we call "the telos of production." While maintaining that it has some basis in Marx's work, we defend this model as preferable to the critique of capitalism based strictly on the exploitation of labor (which we call the "exploitation-exclusive critique"). We attempt to show this by applying the two approaches to the empirical realities of the ecological crisis and ongoing imperialist relations. It is not necessary, however, to abandon the critique of exploitation, or various other criticisms of the capitalist system: we claim that the telos of production critique is the most general diagnosis of capitalism and is capable of incorporating the other major critiques.

“This kind of life has no meaning”

“This kind of life has no meaning”

Is Marx’s Philosophy of Labor Soluble in an Ontology of Life? Michel Henry’s Rereading of Marx

This essay exposes the radicality of the subjective philosophy of living labor that Michel Henry (1922–2002) developed, following Marx. It suggests starting from the problem of the status of this interpretation as such. As an interpretation inhabiting the center of what it is interpreting while seeking to prolong it through clarification, how exactly does the philosophy of living labor enhance Marx’s critique of capitalism? If it goes beyond what it is interpreting, how and to what degree does it modify the critique of capitalism? The present contribution clarifies this modified critique in stages to defend the explanation overall despite that—as enlightening as this modification might be—it ends up shifting the overall perspective.

Can Democratic Equality Justify Capitalism?

Jeppe von Platz has recently argued that welfare-state capitalism can be justified by a theory of democratic equality, challenging John Rawls’s critique of capitalism. Von Platz develops his argument by introducing a social democratic interpretation of democratic equality as an alternative to Rawls’s justice as fairness. Unlike justice as fairness, in which there is only one possible principle of reciprocity (the difference principle), social democracy includes four possible principles in an eligible set that could be chosen as a principle of reciprocity. However, I argue that von Platz’s conception of reciprocity still fails to justify welfare-state capitalism. Of the four principles of reciprocity in social democracy’s eligible set, one of them, the principle of utility, does not express a notion of reciprocity and thus does not belong. The other three – the principle of equality, the difference principle, and the principle of equity – are not compatible with welfare-state capitalism. Thus, since capitalism cannot satisfy a principle of reciprocity in the (revised) eligible set, it is incompatible with the social democratic interpretation of democratic equality.

Hegel contra Hegel: Eurocentrism, Colonialism, and Progress

Abstract This study aims to investigate whether some of the Eurocentric and colonialist contents of Hegel's thought are open to criticism with elements of his own philosophy. First, I intend to show that some of these contents can be organized around the connection between ‘spirit’ and ‘progress’. I then construct an interpretation of Hegel's notion of spirit, based upon which I discuss its possibly pro-colonialist tendencies, arguing that disconnected from the philosophy of history it establishes a connection of autonomy and critique crucial even for anti-colonialist thought. Furthermore, following Adorno's criticism of Hegel, I investigate the possibility of finding in the ‘progress in the consciousness of freedom’ an experiential dimension capable of capturing its regressive moments. This analysis then leads to a discussion of colonization in the reconstruction of capitalist society presented in the Philosophy of Right, which reveals an important discrepancy, so I argue, concerning the Eurocentrism of the Philosophy of History. Finally, I propose a comparison of Hegel's discussion of colonization with Marx's theory of ‘primitive accumulation’, and evaluate thereby the pertinence of Hegel's connection between imperialism and the critique of capitalism.

Representation of Forest in the Poems of Jacinta Kerketta: An Ecocritical Perspective

Representation of Forest in the Poems of Jacinta Kerketta: An Ecocritical Perspective

"『강철군화』와『버닝 데이라이트』에 나타난 자본주의 비판과 휴머니즘"

"『강철군화』와『버닝 데이라이트』에 나타난 자본주의 비판과 휴머니즘"

자본주의 비판 전략을 찾아서 ‒호네트와 프레이저를 중심으로‒

자본주의 비판 전략을 찾아서 ‒호네트와 프레이저를 중심으로‒

The Intersection in Marxist New International Politics and Derrida’s Philosophy: A Meta-Analytics Inquiry of Its Impacts on Western Macro-Economy

The Intersection in Marxist New International Politics and Derrida’s Philosophy: A Meta-Analytics Inquiry of Its Impacts on Western Macro-Economy

Capitalism and the Organization of Displacement: Selma James’s Internationalism of the Unwaged

As political theorists explore work beyond traditional workplaces, how should we understand the vast class of insecure, informal, and unsalaried workers whose existence defies traditional categories of employment? In asking this question, I revisit the political theory of the Marxist feminist and cofounder of the International Wages for Housework movement, Selma James, to explore her “internationalism of the unwaged” and her writings on wagelessness. An example of political theory in service of struggle, James’s internationalism was widely circulated in anticolonial, Black radical, and autonomous Marxist circles in the 1970s. In this article, I argue that it was grounded in three intertwined and mutually reinforcing arguments: an account of how capitalist life is spatially divided into distinct workplaces; an anticapitalist theory of identity that explains social difference as maintained by the international division of labor and labor market hierarchies; and a diagnosis of work organization viewed from the perspective of the wageless worker. I trace how James developed these arguments about the spatial division of labor, hierarchies of identity, and internationalist political struggle and how her view of the common exploitation and division of workers formed the basis of a class-struggle identity politics. Her political theory was an important contribution to women’s international thought and transnational feminist critiques of global forms of domination and exploitation. It also offers a critique of capitalism’s organization of the displacement of work and workers and an account of wagelessness as a work situation, both of which illuminate capitalist organization of work and wageless life today.

The Influence of Post-Internet on the Aesthetics of Vaporwave

While the cultural phenomenon known as vaporwave is commonly traced back to 2009, its defining characteristics remain a subject of ongoing debate within both popular culture and academic circles. Various perspectives categorize it as a microgenre of electronic music, a meme, an art movement, a critique of capitalism, or even a manifestation of pure aesthetics. As such, vaporwave remains a complex and multifaceted topic for research. In this paper, I explore the influence of post-internet culture on the formation of vaporwave and its aesthetics by analyzing the methods and strategies used to create what is recognized as vaporwave, rather than attempting to label or define it precisely. As a further step in this inquiry, I document an attempt to apply these methods and strategies, resulting in the publication of four music albums. This practice-based approach to analyzing vaporwave through creation and publication helps to better understand some core qualities and aesthetics of this art movement.

Mapping ‘metabolism’ in Marx’s Capital

This philological study investigates the German term Stoffwechsel, commonly translated as ‘metabolism,’ a concept central to biological processes in organisms. Originating from the natural sciences, Stoffwechsel is adopted, appropriated, and allegorized in Marx's Capital Volume 1, where it plays a key role in his critique of capitalism. The study adopts a dual analytical approach that mirrors the two metabolic processes: catabolism and anabolism. The catabolic phase traces the term's historical and linguistic origins, charting its incorporation into Marx's lexicon. The anabolic phase explores how Marx transforms Stoffwechsel and assesses the term’s philosophical and political implications within his ecological critique of capitalism. By drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from political economy, linguistic philology, intellectual history, and the history of science, this study the pivotal role and evolving meaning of Stoffwechsel within Marx's critique of the economy, offering a comprehensive account of its significance in the Marxist canon.

Conceito e prática do disenso na ecosofia de Félix Guattari

Abstract An approach to Félix Guattari's Ecosophy is proposed based on the analysis of the logic of dissent. Our hypothesis is as follows: promoting a dissensual practice is vital to eco-ethological knowledge that pursues the resingularization of experience in the context of increasing homogenization operated by Integrated World Capitalism. As Guattari emphasized during his visit to Chile, the object of eco-ethology is not the critique of capitalism but to mobilize its active confrontation. The practice of dissent, in this direction, would make it possible to act against the homogenizing devices of subjectivity at a time when capitalism, after colonizing the world, also colonizes the unconscious. The article deals with the formulation of dissent in Guattari's visit to Chile in 1991, establishing a counterpoint with his analysis in writings of recent years; it then analyses the articulation of dissensual logic in Guattari's ontology. Finally, it explores the function of the logic of dissensus in the configuration of institutions from the perspective of transversality.

An Islamic Response to Capitalism: A Study of Mawdūdī’s Writings on Islamic Economics

Sayyid Abul A‘lā Mawdūdī (1903-79) is recognized as one of the foremost scholars and religious revivalists of the twentieth century. Mawdūdī is widely famous for his views on Islamic economics as he is for his discourses on the Islamic state. He was not a professional economist but a reformer who proposed the foundations of an Islamic state economy in keeping with the central objective of Sharī‘ah rather than systemizing a scientific discipline. He mostly wrote on Islamic economics in the context of his discussion about dīn and the Islamic state. It may be said that in the Indian subcontinent, he played a leading role in developing the economic system of Islam as a distinct discipline. This paper aims to analyze the economy of the Islamic state vis-à-vis capitalism, employing Maududi's writings as primary sources. This paper is divided into three sections, the first section of which deals with Mawdūdī’s conception of capitalism. The second section of the paper examines Mawdūdī’s critique of capitalism to identify the flaws of the capitalist economy. The final section section involves identifying the principles of Islamic economics proposed by Mawdūdī as an alternative to capitalism.

Generative AI and composing: an intergenerational conversation among literacy scholars

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a transcript of a dialogue among literacy educators and researchers on the impact of generative aritficial intelligence (AI) in the field. In the spring of 2023, a lively conversation emerged on the National Council of Research on Language and Literacy (NCRLL)’s listserv. Stephanie initiated the conversation by sharing an op-ed she wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the rise of ChatGPT and similar generative AI platforms, moving beyond the general public’s concerns about student cheating and robot takeovers. NCRLL then convened a webinar of eight leading scholars in writing and literacies development, inspired by that listerv conversation and an organizational interest in promoting intergenerational collaboration among literacy scholars.Design/methodology/approachAs former doctoral students of two of the panel participants, webinar facilitators Grace and Victoria positioned themselves primarily as learners about this topic and gathered questions from colleagues, P-16 practitioners and those outside the field of education to assess the concerns and wonderings that ChatGPT and generative AI have raised. The following webinar conversation was recorded on two different days due to scheduling conflicts. It has been merged and edited into one dialogue for coherence and convergence.FindingsPanel participants raise a host of questions and issues that go beyond topics of ethics, morality and basic writing instruction. Furthermore, in dialogue with one another, they describe possibilities for meaningful pedagogy and critical literacy to ensure that generative AI is used for a socially just future for students. While the discussion addressed matters of pedagogy, definitions of literacy and the purpose of (literacy) education, other themes included a critique of capitalism; an interrogation of the systems of power and oppression involved in using generative AI; and the philosophical, ontological, ethical and practical life questions about being human.Originality/valueThis paper provides a glimpse into one of the first panel conversations about ChatGPT and generative AI in the field of literacy. Not only are the panel members respected scholars in the field, they are also former doctoral students and advisors of one another, thus positioning all involved as both learners and teachers of this new technology.

Back to Marx: reflections on the feminist crisis at the crossroads of neoliberalism and neoconservatism

Contemporary feminism is currently at a crossroads, facing a concerted onslaught from both neoliberal and neoconservative ideologies. While these ideologies are inherently different—neoliberalism often appropriates feminist language to serve capitalist ends, and neoconservatism typically attacks feminist principles—they similarly reinforce the traditional role of families as providers of welfare. This crisis of alienation in feminism is characterized by three key factors: the gender divisions brought about by feminism’s shift to identity politics, the obscuring of feminist critique of capitalism by the spread of commercialization, and the instrumentalization of feminism in politics. These challenges have resulted in increased class antagonism and the further marginalization of lower-income women, reinforcing one another. To address this multifaceted crisis, a return to Marxist thought is deemed necessary for women’s liberation. The historical foundation of women’s issues can be traced back to class oppression, which stems from the primacy of material production over reproductive labor. In this context, gender oppression becomes an instrument that perpetuates class oppression. Only by interpreting women’s bodily autonomy and power from the perspective of material life and class reproduction, and by uniting various social forces against capitalism with practical actions, can feminism regain its vitality. Although the current global women’s movement is full of internal divisions, contradictions, and struggles, there is still hope for achieving unity. When the day comes, history will confirm that true gender equality is not merely the promotion of individual choice for a few, but the emancipation of all, and Marxism will be recorded once again in the history of human liberation. To accomplish this grand objective, the vital step is to end the marginalization of Marxist Feminism.