Marxist Philosophy Research Articles

Буддизм в социально-политической стратегии коммунистической партии Китая

Goals. The article discusses the place and role of Buddhism in current sociopolitical strategies of China’s Communist Party. Results. The study shows that the CPC’s sociopolitical strategy is aimed at realizing the ‘Chinese Dream’ which implies scenarios as follows: building of ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics under the new conditions’; ‘complete construction of a moderately prosperous society’; implementation of the ‘One Belt ― One Way’ project; establishment of ‘a community of shared future for mankind’ with other countries; creation of ‘a multipolar world’. The official ideology underlying the party’s strategy is Marxist philosophy. So, the paper reveals key stages in the development of Marxist philosophy in the context of China’s social and political landmarks. At the same time, significant attention is paid to traditional culture. Conclusions. The article concludes special importance in realizing the ‘Chinese Dream’ is given to the revival of cultural heritage essentially based on the ‘Three Teachings’ – Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Buddhism is reported to still be of great importance in this heritage. The work gives insight into the modernization of Buddhist philosophical and soteriological principles that emerged in line with China’s new sociopolitical trends, and reveals the concept of ‘humanistic Buddhism’ put forward by Tai Xu, a leader of Renovated Buddhism, proves important enough to this modernization. Thus, the relationship between modernized Buddhism and the Communist Party rest on somewhat mutually beneficial basis: philosophical and worldview principles of Buddhism, its tolerance, and peaceful nature constitute a huge potential for its use in sociopolitical strategies of China’s Communist Party. The paper also emphasizes the role of Buddhism in foreign policies as a diplomatic factor of the Chinese government.

Water Supply Policy in the Field of View of Marx's Philosophy

Liu, H.P., 2020. Water supply policy in the field of view of Marx's philosophy. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 394–397. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Since the general layout of the “five-in-one” of socialism with Chinese characteristics was put forward, the construction of ecological civilization has become more and more prominent, and the construction of ecological civilization has risen to a new level. Among the components of ecological resources, water resources occupy a very prominent position and role, so the construction of ecological civilization system has become the focus of research. This paper focuses on the research on water supply policies under Marx's philosophy in M City, and analyzes the impact of each policy on the carrying capacity of water resources. Under the condition of ensuring the rational allocation of water resources, this paper makes a rational suggestion and opinion on the water safety of M city and promoting the scientific development of economy by exploring the policy affecting water resources and discussing its role and significance.

The Crisis of the Concept of Identity in Modern Left-Wing Discourse

The analysis concerns the conceptual crisis within the leftist discourse, which manifests itself in conceptual tensions within the Marxist ideology and philosophy on such cornerstone issues as identity, praxis and practice. The importance of identity for the left idea is connected with both neo-Marxist origins (Frankfurt School) and modern Western left liberalism which fuels the identity debate. The postmodern rejection of activity (Marxist praxis) conditions the identity-practice crisis. Manipulating the category of identity devaluates the concept of class, and, more importantly, the concept of oppression, leading therefore to confusion of the concepts of rights and privileges. The probable reason for that is the general crisis of the subject and, thus, its identity. Inside the left it can be described as saturated generic identity of the working class (Badiou). Instead of praxis, which allows a person to embody the integrity of being, personal identity is built on practices reconceptualized here in terms of identity theory as an economic theory. Practices mean episodic activities, void of continuity and integrity, aimed at increasing one’s market value. Therefore, the left accommodates to neoliberalism, reduces the political activity to activism. The discussion on class issues and the rise of precariat shows that trend. Judith Butler can serve as an example, as her approach defines precariat vulnerable and only able to confront neoliberalism with bodily activation of protest, which only emphasizes precariat’s weakness, incorporates it in neoliberalism, prevents it from realizing its historical subjectivity.

Humans as social beings - From "People first" to “People-centered"

Mr Ma perceived that humans gradually developed social existence through practical activities, strong social interactions, Mr Ma thought that society blending reality and existence could shape man into a generative social existence of sorts. Following that, humans might gain the ability to deconstruct the essence and connotation of society. The CPC owns the most Party members in the world and will insist on the road to socialist development and establish a "People first" scientific approach on development in accordance with the Marxist philosophy. The people-centered core connotation was successively proposed at the Third Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the CPC and the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China hosted by General Secretary President Xi , all of which regard people as the subject.

Relacje Konferencji Episkopatu Polski z władzami Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej w latach 1980-1981


 
 
 After the Second World War communists took over the power in Poland. The main purpose of the ruling party was introducing the principles of Marxist philosophy. In the center of ideological fight was the Roman Catholic Church perceived as serious obstacle or even threat in achieving their goals.
 In the years 1980-1981, the Polish authorities again declared their will to normalize relations and to reactivate the Joint Commission of the Government and the Episcopate. The communists as the rulers counted on the help of the Church in calming social moods and normalizing the situation after the unrest and strikes that took place at that time. The talks however did not bring any significant effects. Only a few small matters were settled.
 
 

Anglo and Marxist Philosophy of Education: Can the Gulf Be Bridged?

Anglo and Marxist Philosophy of Education: Can the Gulf Be Bridged?

Mahdi Amel’s Colonial Mode of Production and Politics in the Last Instance

AbstractThe article discusses Lebanese Marxist philosopher Mahdi Amel’s formulation of the concept of “colonial mode of production” as a differential mode from capitalism that is linked to it throu...

Domenico Losurdo in China: An Insight into the State of Marxist Education and the CPC

In the northern hemisphere’s autumn of 2019, I was asked to offer a seminar on a leading Western Marxist philosopher. I quickly chose Domenico Losurdo, since he is clearly one of the most insightfu...

No Work No Food: An Interpretive Analysis of Paul’s Admonition in 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13 in the Context of the Discourse on Religion and Poverty

Linking religion to poverty is not uncommon in the postmodern world. Religious crises, no doubt, are one of the major causes of indescribable suffering and untold hardship in many countries. Ironically, religious people have also been noticed to be happy in the face of poverty, especially, when it is necessitated by their religiosity. For this reason, Marxist philosophy is antagonistic to religion. Marxism argues that religion impoverishes people through its promise of a better place for believers who endure hardship on earth. Religion, Marxists argue, has been used to protect the oppressors while consoling the oppressed. In this regard, religion is described as the opium of the people. This paper agrees with the view that religion can be a spur for poverty. On the other hand, religion can serve as a catalyst for economic development. The second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 3: 6-13 is interpreted to substantiate these propositions. The paper adopts historicalgrammatical method to interpret the text. The paper points out that some Christians in Thessalonica misunderstood Paul’s teaching about the imminence of the parousia, (that is, second coming of Jesus Christ). Consequently, they abandoned their work while waiting for Jesus to come. This compelled Paul to advocate No-Work-No-Food rule. The submission of this paper is that religious role in human development is ambiguous, depending on how religious adherents understand the teachings of their religions.

Cultural Exchange as an Expanded Field of Architecture : The Decentering Architectural Criticism of the Yugoslav Praxis Group

By exploring a context of networks, critiques, debates, dialogues, and collaborative practices, this article challenges common understandings of the ideological dimension of architectural discourses of the period of the 1960s and 1970s in Yugoslavia. It also considers the potential for rethinking theoretical issues involved in the critical dialogue with other currents of utopian urbanism and prospective thought that were influential at the time. The article investigates the reception of ideas and ideologies, from Lefebvre’s theoretical studies and Habermas’s thesis of modernity as an incomplete, i.e., unfinished project, to Fredric Jameson’s arguments in a historical context of cultural modernity simultaneous with these texts, but in different conditions. The concepts of architectural criticism are analysed through representative practices of the period, from the first attempts to write and rewrite the history of architecture, which coincided with architecture in the expanded field of experimental and conceptual practices, to postmodernist narratives redefining the questions of identity by appropriating the strategies of performing arts in the public space throughout the early 1980s. The thematic framework is constituted by case studies on cultural transfer in the fields of philosophy, theory, sociology, spatial research, and architectural discourse, which played a key role in the strengthening of border-crossing networks. The theoretical and methodological point of departure is the analysis of the Praxis circle, a group of critical Marxist philosophers and intellectuals who gathered around the journal Praxis (1964–1974) and the philosophical-political Summer School of Philosophy held on the Adriatic island of Korcula (1964–1974). The aim is to document and contextualize the role of these activities in disseminating the intense intellectual exchanges of “creative criticism” between East and West. Although recent scientific historiography has expressed greater interest in the inter disciplinary area of cultural transfer, there has never been a thorough critical perspective of the politically charged debates on the history of Eastern European intellectual critical engagement, or systematic study of the theoretical achievements in the architecture of late socialism.

Marxist criticism of Soviet-type society in Czechoslovakia: The political thought of Egon Bondy after 1968

This paper focuses on the development of the political thought of Czech Marxist philosopher Egon Bondy. It examines his criticism of state socialism in the Eastern Block from a Marxist perspective, and it outlines the development of his analysis. The study covers the period from the late 1960s until the Velvet Revolution in 1989, a period during which Bondy explored the historical constitution and nature of a ‘new ruling class’ in the USSR, as well as deeper trends of convergence between Eastern and Western politico-economical systems. In the 1980s Bondy analysed the reasons for the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Even though Bondy was, during most of the period of state socialism between 1948–89, a forbidden author, he was also one of the main critics of the political approach of Charta 77 and Václav Havel. This criticism is also outlined in the paper.

Jednostka, historia i kosmos. Obłok Magellana Stanisława Lema w kontekście przemian świadomości literackiej doby odwilży

The article is an attempt to read the novel of Stanisław Lem The Magellanic Cloud [Obłok Magellana] in the context of processes characteristic of the beginnings of the post-Stalinist thaw, associated with attempts to discuss with the dogmas of socialist realism. Three main aspects of the novel can be indicated in which there are traces of this discussion. Firstly, in placing the problems of the human individual in the center of the work’s interest — their psyche, feelings and reactions. Secondly, in the revision of Marxist philosophy. Thirdly, in reaching for the achievements of exis-tentialism. Such an interpretation of The Magellanic Cloud allows for its inclusion in the literature of the early thaw stage, in which socialist realist elements were combined with new, doctrine-disin-tegrating threads.

Althusser’s turn in Marxism and its meaning for the social theory

Rehabilitation of Marxist thought present in Althusser’s compilation of the articles titled by catching appeal “For Marx” is carried out in two directions: general – when theoretical line of understanding of the society and history is derived out of Marxism as political ideology; specific – when revealing the “ rational kernel” of Marxist philosophy of history or society, Althusser extracts dialectical contradiction rooted it his methodology of basis and superstructure. The subject of this research is the hermeneutic project of Althusser aimed at new interpretation of the Marxist philosophy of history, as well as elucidation of the “absence” of dialectical turn in Marx’s continuity of Hegel’s philosophy. The object of this article is the new methodology of social research oriented towards finding additional meanings of the principle of overdetermination, which allows Althusser to reconsider the Marxist method of basis and superstructure in a structuralistic way. The essence of its rehabilitation criticism (criticism of elimination of false understanding of Marxist philosophy) consists in the fact that the latter contributed to neglecting the superstructure and led the research to acknowledgement of its nature as a nonexistent phantom, illusion, behind which lies the only true reality resembled by the determinant of economic formations.

Subaltern and Marginalised in the poetry of Namdeo Dhasal

According to the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsei, Subaltern and marginalized communities are those sub-sects of the society which are discriminated on the basis of religion, caste, gender, sexuality, culture, tradition, economic status etc. Literature plays a majar role in raising the question of sufferings of against the social supremacy. Anguish of the oppressed communities expressed its strongest protest with piercing words and attacking theme. In the Dalit Literature, Namdeo Dhasal is a universally acknowledged Dalit poet, who attacks social hierarchy with his realistic poems. Namdeo Dhasal’s poetry not only unveils the multiple social oppressions but discusses the social problems also.

Erich Fromm and the Critical Theory of Communication

Erich Fromm (1900–1980) was a Marxist psychoanalyst, philosopher, and socialist humanist. This article asks: How can Fromm’s critical theory of communication be used and updated to provide a critical perspective in the age of digital and communicative capitalism? In order to provide an answer, this article discusses elements from Fromm’s work that allow us to better understand the human communication process. The focus is on communication (the second section), ideology (the third section), and technology (the fourth section). Fromm’s approach can inform a critical theory of communication in multiple respects: His notion of the social character allows to underpin such a theory with foundations from critical psychology. Fromm’s distinction between the authoritarian and the humanistic character can be used for discerning among authoritarian and humanistic communication. Fromm’s work can also inform ideology critique: the ideology of having shapes life, thought, language, and social action in capitalism. In capitalism, technology (including computing) is fetishized and the logic of quantification shapes social relations. Fromm’s quest for humanist technology and participatory computing can inform contemporary debates about digital capitalism and its alternatives.

Notas sobre o subsolo contrarrevolucionário de Budapeste

Fundada sobre a liberdade ontológica na obra O ser e o nada (1943), a psicanálise existencial tem o propósito de compreender o ser a partir de sua liberdade em situação. A obra “Questões de método” (1957), por sua vez, marca o período do pensamento satriano conhecido como “virada dialética”. Esta mudança se caracteriza fundamentalmente pela introdução de uma nova abordagem metodológica: o método progressivo-regressivo. Este método almeja conflitar dialeticamente as totalizações históricas buscando a inteligibilidade do macrocosmo sociocultural. Esta virada se dá em função da crise do pensamento marxista de sua época. Ao encravar o existencialismo no coração da filosofia marxista, e assim afirmar o marxismo enquanto filosofia insuperável de nosso tempo, Sartre aponta que o marxismo se tornou dogmático (crítica já presente na obra A transcendência do ego de 1934) ao não partir da realidade material e dissociar teoria e prática. O famoso caso do metrô de Budapeste, relembrado por Sartre, aponta nesta direção: “o metrô de Budapeste era real na cabeça de Rákosi; se o subsolo da cidade não permitia sua construção era porque o subsolo era contra-revolucionário”. Na 2ª tese sobre Feuerbach (1845) Marx já alerta: é na prática que o homem deve mostrar o caráter terreno de seu pensamento. Sartre repõe a questão entre subjetividade e objetividade, liberdade e História acendendo-nos um farol que nos ilumina ainda hoje. Nosso estudo tem a intenção de mostrar a atualidade da crítica sartriana ao materialismo dogmático, bem como a necessidade de partir do homem concreto e da materialidade, aqui e agora, para compreender, criticar e agir sobre a realidade histórica que nos circunda.

Henri Lefevbre’s second life. The real utopia of the right to the city in contemporary Poland

ABSTRACT The category of the right to the city, conceptualized over five decades ago by the French Marxist philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre, is currently experiencing its second life. It has become a significant political slogan, which – in its counter-hegemonic aspirations towards social change and transgressing the existing order, primarily in the fight against the reality of neoliberal urbanization – rallies together various socio-political movements most often defined under the umbrella term of urban social movements. In my analysis of Lefebvrian notions, I utilize the increasingly widespread category of ‘real utopia’. Additionally, this real utopia treats the right to the city in epistemological terms: as a peculiar type of knowledge co-produced at the intersection of academia and social activism, which remains a relatively rare interpretation among readers, interpreters and practitioners following Lefebvre. I search for these themes both directly in Lefebvre’s work as well as that of his continuators, observing the practices of producing knowledge useful to contemporary Polish right to the city movements.

The ideological and theoretical genesis of ontognoseology in the concept of “polemical marxism”

The article discusses the ideological and theoretical genesis of the ontogeneological concept of the Soviet marxist philosopher M.A. Lifshits. The connection between polemical marxism and the key moments of the development of marxist theory is shown and systemic differences from other editions of marxist doctrine are revealed. The authors made an analysis of the main theoretical foundations of the M.A. Lifshitss ontognoseology and outlined the direction of its problem potential modern optimization.

Ernst Bloch as a Philosopher of Praxis

Contrary to the widespread portrayal of Bloch’s philosophy as “mystical,” “eschatological,” “idealistic” etc., the essay shows that it is best interpreted through the framework of a Marxist philosophy of praxis. Similarly, to Labriola and Gramsci, Bloch develops his concept of materialism from Marx’s Theses on Feuerbach. His concepts of the “highest good” and of an “alliance technique” take up young Marx’s perspective of a reconciliation between humans and nature; his theory of anticipation and hope is centered on the development of collective capacities to act; even his “ontology of the not yet,” which is often criticized for its teleology, is actually based on the concept of “open possibilities” and can thus be interpreted in terms of the “weak teleological force of open possibilities.” However, from a praxis-philosophical perspective, Bloch’s philosophy is also in need of a rethinking that overcomes its essentialist presumptions and pluralizes its teleology.

The Slow versus the Spectacular:

“Polynia” and “Covehithe” are two short stories from China Miéville’s 2015collection Three Moments of an Explosion. Present in both is an “ecosystem” ofspectacular violence that the author builds through, first, the graphic descriptionof violence, second, the encapsulation of eye-witnessed violence in visual objectsthat resemble what the Marxist philosopher Guy Debord terms “spectacles” and,third, the manipulation of textual spectatorship. To construct a chilling and eerieatmosphere for his narratives, Miéville can be said to have drawn heavily on HPLovecraft’s weird tales. Nonetheless, behind the spectacles of violence representedin “Polynia” and “Covehithe” is not the cosmic horror typical of Lovecraft buta different kind of horror, heavily anchored in our reality, possessing new andincreasing urgency: the horror of global warming and environmental degradation,or, as in the words of Rob Nixon, of “slow violence.” Consequently, there happensin “Polynia” and “Covehithe” what is similar to an act of translation, of the slowinto the spectacular. I argue that this translation provides a potential answer toNixon’s pressing question about how to surmount the representational challengescreated by slow violence in order to render it more urgent and engaging. Thisargument is furthermore related to broader discussions about the relationshipbetween literature and the media, fiction’s engagement with the environmentalcrisis, as well as the differences between Old Weird and New Weird.