William Cockshott Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:46:26 -0800 The idea that Marxist theory is completely free of normative judgment is complete nonsense. -raghu. Yes it is based on the prior position of taking up the side of the exploited.
^^^^^^ CB: I agree with this. For Marx and Engels, and others who are Communists but not members of the working class, the practice of Marxism is moral ,because it is "empathizing" , taking up the interests of _others_ trying to change the world in the interests of other people. For, the vast majority in the working class that Marx and Engels were propaganidizing, Marxist revolutionary activities are not moral (not immoral either) because they are acting in self-interest ( not meaning that this self-interested action is immoral). Workers' self-interested does help others in the sense that the rest of the working class benefits. But Marx and Engels emphasize appeal to self-interests of the workers, which is to say their appeal is amoral. I think this is why they wear a sort of mask of amorality in their main theses. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
