Marx Continues to Influence 125 Years After His Death

[Joanne98]

Friday, March 14, marks the 125th anniversary of the death of German philosopher and political economist Karl Marx. Marx is still regarded as hugely influential to the development of 20th century thought.

Both a scholar and a political activist, Marx addressed a wide range of political as well as social issues, and is known for, among other things, his analysis of history. The interpretations of his theories, particularly those on political economy, have in the course of history generated decades of debate, inspired revolutions and cast him as both devil and deity in political and academic circles.

Maligned by some, misunderstood by others and celebrated as one of the world's great thinkers by many more, Marx continues to be a divisive and much discussed individual. While there has been a substantial revival of interest in his theories since the end of the Cold War, mainly those which deal with the volatility and shape of capitalism, the question remains as to whether a man who died 125 years ago still has any relevance today.

Ian Hunt, the director of the Center for Applied Philosophy at the Flinders University of Southern Australia, believes that Marx and his insights into the capitalist system in particular still have a place in contemporary society.

"Marx's thoughts on the exploitative nature of the relationship between capitalist employers and their employees ring true today," he said. "The proletariat, or those without property, continues to seek employment from those with property. Control over private investment continues to give the capitalist class decisive influence over government and sufficient control over the supply of labor to ensure that it is sold by employees on terms favorable to the increase of the wealth of employers."

Hunt said he believes that Marx's theories on the exploitative nature of the capitalist employment relationship -- which skews industrial development toward using up human and natural resources for short-term gain -- apply today in the form of climate and energy issues and "the problem of the despotic form of the employer-employee relationship under capitalism."

Marx foresaw impact of private dominance

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Marx wrote about the factors which influenced climate change
"Marx's analysis of the foundations of a capitalist society raises questions of the justice of the distribution of wealth, and therefore also of income, in capitalist societies, which are even more acute in the modern world than in his own time," Hunt added. "It also raises questions about the environmental consequences of private dominance of investment that are even more acute today than in the time Marx wrote."

Simon Tormey, the co-director of the Center for the Study of Social and Global Justice (CSSGJ) at Nottingham University, also believes Marx was ahead of his time.

"The world is pretty much how Marx described it 150 years ago, which is quite impressive in itself," Tormey said. "This is to say that we now have a more or less integrated world capitalist system, with a global rich and global poor -- as Marx predicted. There is huge exploitation across all societies -- the proliferation of sweatshops and export processing zones are all very much in keeping with Marx’s account.

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http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3190306,00.html

[Warpy]

1. I don't know how people can call themeslves

either economists or sociologists if they haven't read Marx. That's how important his work is.

Having said that, I find it ironic that his prescription to cure all the ills of society suffers from the same fatal flaw as its polar opposite, Randism: it requires the perfection of humanity to work.

If you haven't read it, please do so. Kapital is miserably difficult reading and you will kick and claw your way through every tortured phrase, but the keen observation of the system we are all mired in will nourish and sustain you.