Structural Marxism

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Structural Marxism is a modern vision of Marxism, which became popular in the 1960s and the 1970s. This modern vision of Marxism is most closely associated with the work of the French philosopher Louis Althusser. He makes a distinction between Marx's early writings and Marx's mature writings. In the early writings Marx was close enough to Hegelian philosophy ('the rational alone is real') to represent a humanism. In the mature writings Marx broke so completely with the Hegelian philosophy that they could be judged as a science (GeoDZ, n.d, p.1). 'Structural Marxism is a systematic attempt to reinterpret Marx in light of the work done by structuralists like Levi-Strauss' (Cline, 2010).

Structural Marxism, as a science of modes of production, focuses on the structures of capitalism (GeoDZ, n.d, p.1). This means the social as well as the political organization of production. The fact that the state grows in power is according to Althusser a structural aspect. We can't do anything about that. He argues that every system has a structure and believe that cultural phenomena serve the reproducing processes of inequality and exploitation. Also development is fixed in the interpretation of Althusser. He sees it as a historical process that can't be stopped. Other names for the thoughts of Althusser include 'dehumanizing' or 'anti-humanism'. This is due to the desire of Althusser to describe impersonal historical processes rather than the actions of individual human beings. This is consistent with the structuralist presumptions which downgrade the role of independent human agency in the course of history. Althusser is, in this, opposed the work of more humanist Marxists (Cline, 2010).

This declaration of Althusser is much more in a modern way described than many other philosophers in that period. Henri Lefebrvre, who was inspired by the ideas of Marxism, saw production as the essence of capitalism. There are two kinds of production: material production, what is consistent of Marx’s idea of capitalism and besides that, social production. With social production he means the hegemony of one class, in other words the action of the bourgeoisie in relation to space. Hegemony is entirely determined by political forces. This is exercised over the society because of its great influence (the power they have), through policies, political leaders, etc. Space here is seen as a passive station of the social relations, but it also has an active role. In particular, this is the world market as a space (Lefebvre, 1991, p.10). The is one of the most important criticism that Lefebvre had on Structural Marxism, the absence of the social element in Structural Marxism. You can say that Lefebvre adds humanism tot this kind of thinking.

References:

Cline, A. (2010). Louis Althusser. Vinddatum 29 oktober 2010, op: http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_althusserlouis.htm

GeoDZ. (n.d.). Structural Marxism. Vinddatum 28 oktober 2010, op: http://www.geodz.com/eng/d/structural-marxism/structural-marxism.htm

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Oxford: Blackwell

Published by Christine Hutting and Milou Pollemans