Critica INQUIRY:
THE MARXIST HERITAGE
se he nt 9 the won,
the nd thet
Wiliam Shakopee, Hanke
In dscsing interpretive in the previous ewo chapen, the Sse of
critical ny haw ale emerged for ue By an ag, interes
{a uncial form of sud. Phenomenclogy, tn Be suey a Tes
‘ore authentic gus, i ale prfesdy ental. Sil, nt all phenome
nologts ave recognised che etc character of their enterprise ce
snl ito the fill Ax Brenan fable to lan (1987, p 5), the
ital challenge mounted by the Fanfare Seal “solo figured —
Sometimes a+ negative countering, otis a shared projec the
‘henomenclical tain. Sn, while Paul Ricoeur can psn to
1 vical denying herenetics (tn Mare, Niece and re),
hie alo acknowledges that for seme (Rudolf Bulan, for instance),
Fremeneatic i nilydemyehlgng. Inthe Fre, he text cons
cra wo represent fle reality anes ae mae 1 remove the masks
Sod ilasinn an gs new itepetaio, Thus, Rice expend ink
‘ting society the history of clas sugges (Marx and Ens 1937,
10) Thay the class stage of today mirrors the conflict in ancient
fumes between fe pers atl ales Equally, ime the coe
foal mes Between aritocey led gent om te one hand,
the ensered emants, nn the othe, These ae otto be seen merely
sdretive conflicts Hae dnc hols nat any the notion of tess
sx! antithess sending ver apaast cach ether but al de notion
iv interaction leading 10 sai, Mare draws on these Hein
ons to show how the coo ancient tes fetween the fee atl
the enslaved lol eo the development of feudal society. Salary the
‘confit i fea tnes betwen the Land getty andthe sf ed to
the development of eptls seit. And in apoesypic win, he olds
can the aural hope thatthe confer tly Fesween the bourse
tnd the plea wil lead to the developent of # socials then
“communist, woe, clases society bom of an emancipatory process
dea offering te ido ol
Driving this disleticl and, in his view, wimately Wbcatng poses
is whae Marx conceives the rations of prc, Pslction i
crtal to his analyse. The action of human Beings te wor is at
fhe heat of history. fe though sich acon that we. Become fally
human. Speking of the way in which humans proce tele means of
substence, Mare stats that dis proce" lady fine fot
oF acity of tho indivi, dete may of expres tel ie
‘efinte mode of We "Whae Burman bin ae het depend on the
‘maeial conditions of thet prection (Marx 1961, pp 70.
18 is obvious enough chat the means of raaction thie pele cate
for themselves and have avaiable to them fer fon en to er. Marx
places atthe very conte of is expat something that ls noe ute
So obvious: thatthe scl late creat bythe means of prdcton
‘ores of poduction, Mant ket to term the later) lo ier fem
fa to era. Mire stetcs thatthe hind mill presupposes 0 dvson
fof abou diferent from that of ee tam mill "The Band all wl ive
eu a society wieh the feudal lank the stenm ill» socery with
the indstrialcaptealist™ (Marx 1961, pp. 106-8). In ether words‘
seteminate mode of predation, einai sages lays und wp
wth a determinate mode of cooperation, or scl stag’ (Marx 1961
P70.
“The relationship heween the force fpiduton andthe conespond
Ang soa eltins of proueson isan uneay ee, Over tine ew
rodictive frces emerge the sel relations of prodacion hve
change in oer eo accommedste them. When this harpen. society
fre economic equiva shared and 9 ifewat fore of oc
selarions of production must he chsh I ancien times fll
the move fiom what Max conser to be pron fort of communal
living the economy is charted by landed propery. At eat a the
stare, this i communal or Sete property un Kk exensialy linked
the te of slave In Rome, sx Mare pote out (I96I, 128), slavery
“remained the hiss of the whole reductive spe’ Ye shiery a
Pract in aiguiey has inerene Tmiations, Matsining it pones
‘sworkale as new material condos uf production ae The we of
slave abr inch form comes tobe a baer to th fective deploy
tment ofthe diferent insinanents of pedacton that come ta hand. So
slave labour ger way tet Itout This nwo happen becuse ofthe
‘ery atone oF feudal pope that iy sete. popety, wih has
replaced che more commnal fonts of propery of earertinesLate and comm pops Ba cnuy the
{imal mdsing hae hich cmt tym he oe ofthe
Stine community the dvs bth ered mal pata =» Th
{Gaal vr ws the common pepe fw,
Sr moton sgt whee ping a tthe For of sun
wath reton tothe sist pars wee fleet Bosse fhe
‘ten condo poo (Mae 196 p 129)
Silay, eadin gives way to capital because of changes in the
forces of poueton ad the nay of dhe exis relations of po
‘Seton to eater for theme As Mar snd Eagels underline, the fe
felons of popety became no longer compacisle with the aleady
{eveloped productive fore lestend they proved to be wo many fete
fn thst “were fue sunday and Engss 1969, p. 113)
For Maras shen, the multitude of productive forces accestble tome
determines the rare of sicey” (Mare and Engels 1969, p. 31), I
‘ey tose why he has Boon egal as an economie decrminst. To
Fare shee ate oer fren st work in the shaping of any society but
te rork boom, the economic Frees are the cnes thre count. (Bay
there are many groupings society othe than the co. chives e
Fights bu at rok bottom, the Bourgeosie and the profeoie ste
{ener that cours) Mare spas ofthe other forces, for example
Tegel und poled fore, a perteitare’ bale on the economic
evtae these foison’ C961, p67), Manet no dsmsing
the importanes ofthe sepesstevtare. For example, be sre 10 fi
tor efecive action for change stems fom awareness of the confit
eewcen productive forces and the social relations of production and
thar sich sworenea can cecur only at an Weologleal—thae ly Teal
plea of religions —level (Mare ad Engsls 1969, 62). 1 reine
bis contention, howwver, chat what goes om at this mipesstract level
{Eves is ffecrveness fom the scanami Fores at watk (p33)
“This contention takes che fon, pricey, of asertng that economic
forces detsmine how we think. In talking of economic frees being
the real foundation for Tegal and polccal superstars, Macy ah
thi theve ate definite forms of soil oases couespendng ¢0
the ceomomie store, In word we have ated lady, Marx (1961
6) ts eealy to him, i i not che consiousnes of men that
‘oacmines thet Being, fat, on use cana, their sock being det
{nine tele ennsctonnes? The socal being he refers toi, bere all
vd above all, econo Being. This sean chat shoe who hold ee
“amie hegemony tae sle to hape the perceptions and viewpoints of
those wha do ne
“The of he alec at ig ee ha
hie dn nc ach sey ee ta
‘Eine tet The ss wich ee mo ed
ttn air toe ee he a
‘el ty thin cms se Mw so ek
‘Rimmed peat ne pn agar Foe
lng tng cae st joc te
saree tn seen an ano athe He ea
Eine el oc wee se Mr 8h 09)
Marx i docrhing an oppreson that touches the ei gut of
bu if nl umn fa Teds nt have od jo wo
rermeste the toy othe mike exten. ee olay, ae we
Ie chr hw nih ks he tg
ste concianey and the ngsion of company elo)
x ystem of bei and aly which ot son for nha sb
taken to pee he wy things ely ote The all he shold ed
eee leat om the pt of rs gs with my a
Mane loan icy wring, edo isto of pltvan
allman a costae lengthy pong cre of to 8 rch
ind mullet.
‘Alienation castes the Gannin Enjoi, which sigs the
acivic or proces by which sac become seer fis
(Gee 1963, 7 14} beeing wit the primacy asond the
Sther fn shit lois oy take, Inthe eeoncr an
inherent nthe cael ton of prodoctn, we no nget bey
tothe worker: Thi, fr Mann nine on, fhe vs an
fing roductive ysl very ture. Ow abo one peste
ingroup. Along nth toi HC md neous Ie
these a man bse The capa syst, eve,
ectn in aking mr songs thei wr ork What cag oe
fn espeniun of thee very being berms merely inserts mee
‘of suluitence. This ‘alenation of abo ae the elect ha the wt
is cneral to the worker, thi snot par of hi ature, that eo
quent he does now full sl in is wort Mare 1961 pe 1767)
‘hs ng tis Ma ll
tly ‘What i he significance, In the development of huts of th
fohucton of the yeater part of anki to mee aaa! labo?
(ep. 1767),
“The llenation Mave is deseibing here isa selEaeation’. He als
to this et aneer for of alec, ee ‘llenation ofthe thing. The
senaton ofthe thing lis inthe telatonship of the worker 0 thettn sin nd taper tr we
“This ison inhuran ston’. Inded, inthe fly developed pole
tara, everthing human taken ay, even the appearance of any
(re 1961s pe 23607). cll sur the sway of Fahuran power (Man
196K p. 158)
Terre any way out? Yes, there Be the way of revoation, The
polctare i foreds by an inchctbl, remedial, ane imperious
isso by paca macs to revo ina ti humane‘
“anf emanciate Hse (Marx 1961, 237}, Note that Mans aot
Taking abo irs esmancipating the prclerra. I ust emancipate
Tell This a heme thar Maras writers mich oer, wl ow ino
tld ele Brian casionait Paulo ree (one impentane Histe
tt de thot a we shal ce Another strand in Mare thought hat
Bote apltsshis insistence atthe peta tiimphing does
pot simply sbi tl for the oppress m ple ony ito
ows by abolshing Hel ar well an sto opponte’, writes Marx (1961
PDD). The proletariat can aly emancipate tel! by desing the
Coesitons of fe exatence! adi “can only destoy is own conditions
Uexitence by destroying all the nbuan conditions of existence of
presenti sekty” (Mare 1961, ps 237)
Tr this wap altenation fe overcome, sey emancipancn sx ska
cf the amar wor ud of hana elon toma Nos (Mar
196, gp. 136-41)
Manxism AFTER MARX
(On More's deaths fy Itt Faedtich Engels 0 eke thing ra
From popes lef by Minx he erp and published the em free
ols of Das Kapil Ang thove papers he found Mane’ Theses
Frwerbes wen in 1843. He pled this work i ected foro
(BBB. We owe many other Marxian texts to Engels’ research and
ioral fons. Those tasks undoubtedly enabled Engel to exercise
Spine inluenee ever the subequent rection ant inerpreaon
of Mares though, Commentntrs have question whether, rather,
te wha exert=hie influence hax contre to, and detracted fam
Jenuineundenanding of what Mars cag Se sage the» umber
{Sf enass found in Mars theory ae de to the clara sempre
Shoal in Eure in the lave nineteenth conn fespectly the dead
joe philosophies! grounding of concept) tthe han to any prelection
foe chery ofthat hl tthe pat of Max isl
{Over these las decades ofthe eoneary. bo tive ard fn the wake
of Marv’ death, the newborn discipine of sccelogy yoaderd the
Implications of his teachings hah and long. Amon the sociologis
paying clo itenton to Marxist concopes were Resdinand Temes
Erule Dem ard Georg Simmel. Max Webee peril es
deeply unlvncel by Mates thought, 36 wea acknowlalyed by
‘ebwrisn schol Afr refering 10 he cle played by Nicesche in
Wekers development, Donald MacRae writs (1974, 52) "Ar for
Mara, ape of dhe most frguanly ecartent questions Set salen of
sociology in Bin and Arca the rset to dct the proposition
‘hae "Weber seilngy ira debate with the ghost of Kal Mara”
‘Webss, couse, ders markedly fog: Marx on many sues or hi,
she bourpsoiste andthe proletariat ae asthe nly groping in oety
tha count. Nor is Weer ready o accord to eeu inert the
well-nigh exclave hogenony that Mare abate: to chem Ia dis
respect, Macfie quotes Weber 10 dhe effec that "ene and mite
neers direly gover mens concept (1974, p58). Fer all the
Aicrences however Weber remains hewly bbe to Mar
Fr Web Mas wry of itn al ft Web? eb ee
ete opener! jenn ti nde the Mare
‘hoc Wshr pb ola emcees: Matos 197, pp. 60)
The Garman scl democracy ta which Macfac tfes fa tcf
sere cre around he tut ofthe wert cery. For ome flloers
(FMaes, cmos Mario wx ow playing postin ad evolution
is fentoer ard apreaed to Fe ose in excel Hegelian frm, This
vs seen toe dy at eas prt, to te influence ot Engels and Kad
Kawshy (1954-1958), bh of whos a been perl ected with
Mane and were snsuled with the posthamons editing of his wrk. The
‘revsonise™—Mirsist who felt that Marxism had gone cy and
wis ta ace He eten fo tare athente onemaet ther sgh onKaty, Tsim potions wa Earl Bernstein (1850-1932), who
fnved that the tens dncernibe within Western capitals were not
thowe preted by Mrs and that Maree denny nosed a be adapted
ins light of thee red: The Kasaky-Bersteln dispute end with
the defeat of Bertin snd tevin general
Koray wast remain sign of contact. Aer the lube
revolion In Busia 1917, he rosa swords with ie hie archiee,
Vian Uych Leni (170-1924). For Kautsky, as for many other
thon Macsins of that time, the even sn Rasta Ge sia the
‘etry of a poftarian revolt What deter tha eo
Te bevels wo a dictatorhip ne she proletariat not dette
ff che poletian. This dst a Aro pains oat (1965, 189-1)
ten tm stan of Mest shat One regarded he Soviet eine
wat leat fsa she alge of Mors vison. The other dened
it's gross ditrtion of Marist del, sing that sia plang
and cllecive nen) muse he wel 9 poll dwerty
This se the scene fr vigonin Sacwson of Matt eae and for the
enetgnce of Western Marcie! The diciisin was cared oat en
tron. ont There ts, or istanesy the diiney Hegelian, aed
Therefore heavily dialectic, Marsiom of Gyéngy (Georg) Lakes
{UBBS-I971}, for whore the protcarin, object a itis of capitalist
texploarton, Becomes the subject of hstiry chsh evoanary eae
Consciousness, Tere wiv the prsirerentel Mariam of Antonia
Ghost (401-1937), hich mows sway fom dhe Kiril deer
ts grin ofthe Maxie onfucdony. Kel Kosch (1886-1961)
lade rs de centepice of his appranch she ough to urs
the fee sbctiicaion of socal relations. And se as Kath
Manner (1893-1942), whose Mapas served asthe mee for is
velopment of a wxtolyg of Howmlege Tse were al tthe Fre in
the sary 1920 wath Lakes sn Mies, Grae iy Rae, Kosch in
Leps ond Mannbi tn rank a.
vty ens on nd Western Mars fs oot kat pet. fn the
1960 aad 1970s we fn! Lous Alun (1918-90), Alero conn ike
Cams making a sharp diinon eween the eae, homanstie Marx
and the ae, much me cen? Mary, and atemping to ierodoce
‘ements ef sacl nso Marais, Such clei 998 fr Fem
few in ihe Bison af Manas hough
“The mow sting at om fusen Masi al pis
Ihe Wt ese ow ei Mares ve oi sr ae |
lies Manas have sey tet atte thelr Moe od
‘have ype fete crow dbainaerpy. The eial
{mews in Hee haw de wa couple wih the nec f Pre
rv cc othe folate Fem Sc he pata oe
Ter eattonlo el ol a of Nw Lf risa Mee
In eo hich Ste ter mk ey he ne promi Pampa
the vse prog of stu he 0s RG el
scandy thecal Mrs of Ahmet and hi econ wie the
taal hace of Mas fe sen aster art
‘Soc to etme wth ms sedan cm the Reo Thc
yoo (NLtan 195%, p32),
Te we wane to characterise Western Mam, we might dot to
sundrine the emphasis ts place clte a dint Fon co
nomics The cphisis has fect om the pentru rather ch the
conomie substactre. The hascemaily fen the ese wi the
ff scolaes—formed in rank, fcc itt twentyyeas exile fom
Franklin, bur wiunphanly restablshed im Fronkfir—with whom
erica sia inguy tras a Marist perspective haw been stanly
enti or alles ehece quater of centr.
THE INSTITUTE FOR SocIAL RESEARCH
“The Frankiurt School as heen mentioned sever tm lady thas
is orgie i the Instat for Social Reseach ct. pf 1924 under the
patonage of Felix Wei Wei the won of aultnilenaite anda stent
ff Robere Wikebeand, 2 seciaat profesor of politi cconony at
“Tubingen, waated wo estaba an sional context for the cuatio
of Marcie teas. Hens addin this project by Kast Geach, 8
leering socialist wo had taughe at Lely before becoming pest
‘fecononi cence st Aachen In 1922 Oetich wn ved t ke op
2 profewonhip3¢ Frankfurt and to work wih Wl nestling the
Teste
‘As Wienhaus documents (199, rp 12-18) the subision tha Wei
and Gata made othe Prsin Mini of Scene openly desert the
rope! isiane ss one that would See fs and erent Fr the sy
fen enn of scene Marais. They were more gee th het
sepeach tothe Universey atric. Moan vas tne ly in
frsng ad notin relation eo the ss of the Iie At sofia
pening on 22 June 1924, bomever, te naga drctorof the Inte,
Gat! Gusher, leit ae im the minis of Is Dstt tt
“ereation. Ts t,he dele in is fom dos or tha czas, am
fe of the apport of Manin. He went on
Up al aw Mai an seamen acolo ate, ht hen |
‘vo coo oegled nt Carmen evra, a cone cotwith she af eter cus in pict, at Ban ety
Tavs home. ln Wig 1984, 027)
Ever at the stat the Mars cringed fr he Iniute wa by 0
reine onhocoe and, ae the Institute po uray, i bough together
hinkes who diverged fom one anothers sient ways, The Tt
{te for Social Research has manifesto very markedly the cles
asaly rere 1. Thi is even more te of the be, wager nity
‘which gore bythe name of the Fankive School al for which the
Tnscute wives the organisitional sete? (Wolin 1992, p46). So
ch m hat sme commentators quston whether the Ia o the
School should Be roped x Marnst hn any tae sense of the word
2 eraln clo uf myth ambigity and confson
‘rounding the Frat Schoo!” and epic thatthe "orion tha the
Scho seprcnts 2 Marcie orientation in schkiy cets only om
"superficial aequnincanes with the werk af Max Horkheimer, Theodor W.
Adon, and other thinker ofthe Fanfare School (1977, yy 2). Tar
Akscebes Hodthetmer views im paricular a "Mara une pede dow?
tn “obey borot om a dstortion of the Marsan, vison’ (1977
180). Inthe end, acon to Marin Jy (3973, 296), the lstiute
tee a revision af Marson so subst he erkeled the ght
{ote inladed among its many etiote Men, i ft, ea te
Scholae Wohin rather than Maxi:
Sic wcus he ctf the Wetron fence on the Fan
Sha mks nl ein decane mer of schoo concer
evecare yes
hes Acco at only he Masa sol gee het
‘eultry tate ead fom fe cea mee
“Scale fg, he ple: fe deel
‘Seal pound snd nthe Src a ahaa Webtan e
‘Saal 9B 2)
Sech judgments notwithstanding, most anahts of Fenkfite Schoo
slilowply snd micial sence av content fo accep its broadly Marat
hurt whe recognising that she Manin i auction ise pat
Form but a neo-Marss on pot Marnan contin» srone edie
tf elements drawn tom other sources. Than, Outhote writes (1994,
Sof the bl Maras radon hae ‘inspired the ciginal Frankfort
Inset for Social Research Fara the ert of sutboes lieTar
Jy and Meier, Hoahehner hich who succeded: Grinberg
econ ofthe Inticate in 1930, fad no doubt about the ahntiiy
‘ofthe Teitrés Mars. “Maris won its decisive meaning for out
though’ he was 1 write some 40 yeas le (1973, px). The story
betel he story of how "ngroup of mc, rested inst theory
and fm diferent scholaly bakapounde cane tether mith the heli
that formulating the negive im the epuc of mca aes Se
weaning than academe carer? (197, px) "Wht united en,
Fae declare ‘was che citi apc to existing soviet C1993, pa
1 the Schools eelationsip to Maree complen one it hier te
complex alto, The fnse members of the ltite fr Socal Resor
wee either Jews a as Wiese pet, people wha alah bor
forced back into un alton wich Jn by the Nazi (1998p
ented ns both Jewish and Marsa, they ha! no chance ef suite,
‘nce Ness cane to power in 1953, Hilr war appited Chancellor
fn 30 Jamary 1933, elections forthe Eighth Relcsta task place on
5 March and on 1) March te Insts reas were seated bythe
Police atl clonal down. A statemen by the Gestapo data Lf July