Episteme
Article Title
Abstract
Doesn’t Marxism need morality? This article takes a look at anti-moral and moral approaches available to Marxists. The Anti-moralist Allen W. Wood believes Marxists make value judgments based on non-moral goods. But this non-moral goods category, when applied, allows for lots of ambiguity concerning goods. Worse, theories that mention non-moral goods usually relate such goods to self-interest, but how can it be in one’s self interest to postpone individual self-satisfaction?—what Marxism theoretically entails. Also, doesn’t the Marxist need an ought, thereby making her or her a moralist? The question becomes which direction should moral Marxism take? An appeal to natural rights? Utilitarian? Kantian? Such options can meet Marxism’s central tenets, but Marxism itself cannot tell us what the right choice is. But that is not a problem. The important thing is that Marxism is compatible with some moral systems in such a way that all such systems compel persons to embrace the Marxist rationality.
Recommended Citation
Laraway, David
(1992)
"The Necessity of Moral Marxism,"
Episteme: Vol. 3, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.denison.edu/episteme/vol3/iss1/5