The ‘two marxisms’ revisited: Humanism, structuralism and realism in marxist social theory

Creaven, Sean; Creaven, S.M.

Abstract

© W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2015. The ontological and analytical status of Marxian social theory has been a matter of fierce controversy since Marx’s death, both within and without Marxist circles. A particular source of contention has been over whether Marxism should be construed as an objective science of the capitalist mode of production or as an ethico-philosophical critique of bourgeois society. This is paralleled by the dispute over whether Marxism ought to be considered a humanism (or critical theory of human agency) or a structuralism (or science of social systems). This article addresses both sides of this debate. The argument is that, rather than Marx’s own social thought being split into incompatible poles, giving rise to ‘two Marxisms’, it forms a coherent unity. Marx’s social theory is neither humanist philosophy, nor structural science, but is in fact realist science, which synthesizes these apparent antinomies, and thereby transcends both.

Citation

Creaven, S., & Creaven, S. (2015). The ‘two marxisms’ revisited: Humanism, structuralism and realism in marxist social theory. Journal of Critical Realism, 14(1), 7-53. https://doi.org/10.1179/1572513814Y.0000000008

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 24, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Dec 20, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Critical Realism
• Print ISSN: 1476-7430
• Electronic ISSN: 1572-5138
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 7-53
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/1572513814Y.0000000008
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/841542
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com