[OPE-L:4519] RE: Re: Marxist economists

From: P.J.Wells@open.ac.uk
Date: Mon Nov 13 2000 - 11:38:00 EST


I think the objection to this phrase is to its implication that there is an
"economic" aspect to Marxism, alongside a "political", a "sociological", or
an "anthropological" aspect, whereas Marxism is a critique of not only of
these disciplines but of their separation.

To hark back to a famous quip of the man himself, the claim is that his zoo
contains only Animal, not a collection of different species of animals.

Professionally and politically, of course, one may be a "Marxist economist
(or sociologist, etc.)" in the sense of advocating a Marxist critique of
both the disciplines in general and particular parts of their content or
method, but that is not the same thing as the attempt to be an "economist
Marxist", i.e. to think that our work is done when we have criticised
economics.

Julian



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