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Crude Communism and Revolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

David Resnick
David Resnick
Affiliation:
Cornell University
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Abstract

The paper is an examination of the relationship between Marx's theory of communism and his theory of revolution in the early writings. Avineri's claim that the Paris Manuscripts contain a two stage theory of future society is critically evaluated. It is argued that by crude communism Marx meant an incorrect theory of communism and not a description of the next stage of society. Confusion results from taking Marx's discussion of two stages in the Critique of the Gotha Program and reading the more sophisticated analysis of the later works back into the early writings. A discussion of the relationship between revolutionary theory and practice as formulated in the early writing is offered in order to substantiate the claim that Marx never thought that socialist society had to pass through the stage of crude communism.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 70 , Issue 4 , December 1976 , pp. 1136 - 1145
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1976

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References

1 See Mehring, Franz, Karl Marx, The Story of His Life (Ann Arbor, 1962)Google Scholar. For an account of the revival of interest in the Hegelian roots of Marxism, and the history of the debate about the interpretation of the early writings see Fetscher, Irving, “The Young and the Old Marx,” in Marx's Socialism, ed. by Avineri, Shlomo (New York, Liber-Atherton Press, 1973), pp. 36–59Google Scholar.

2 Avineri, Shlomo, The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx (Cambridge: University Press, 1969), p. 5Google Scholar.

3 Avineri, Shlomo, “Marx's Vision of the Future,” Dissent, Summer, 1973, pp. 323–331Google Scholar.

4 Avineri, Shlomo, The Social and Political Thought of Karl MarxCrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5 Avineri, , “Marx's Vision of the Future,” p. 327Google Scholar.

6 Marx, Karl, Critique of the Gotha Program in The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. by Tucker, Robert C. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1972), p. 388Google Scholar.

7 Ibid., p. 389.

8 McLellan, David, Marx Before Marxism (New York: Harper and Row, 1970), p. 182Google Scholar.

9 Avineri, , “Marx's Vision of the Future,” p. 329Google Scholar.

10 Ibid., p. 327.

11 Avineri, , The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx, p. 225Google Scholar.

12 Avineri, , Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx, p. 225Google Scholar.

13 Marx, , Critique of the Gotha Program, p. 387Google Scholar.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid., p. 388.

16 Marx, , Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 (Selections), in Tucker, , p. 68Google Scholar. Note: I have tried to cite readily available translations of Marx's works, but have made slight modifications whenever I thought it helpful. Throughout I have used “transcendence” as a translation of aufheben in its various forms, and “alienation” as a translation of entfremdung in its various forms. It is always useful to consult the original German, especially when it comes to Marx's more philosophical works. Since some of my analysis of the Paris Manuscripts departs from traditional scholary interpretations, all references to the manuscripts will be accompanied by citations to the Marx-Engels, Gesamtausgabe (Berlin: Marx-Engels Verlag, 1932) I, 3, pp. 111–12, hereafter referred to as MEGAGoogle Scholar.

17 Marx, , Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts in The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Tucker, , p. 68Google Scholar; MEGA, p. 112.

18 Ibid., p. 69; MEGA, p. 112.

19 Ibid.; MEGA, p. 112.

20 Ibid., p. 66; MEGA, p. 92.

21 Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, Tucker, , p. 68Google Scholar; MEGA, p. 111.

22 Ibid., p. 60-61; MEGA, p. 86.

23 Ibid., p. 61; MEGA, p. 87.

24 Ibid., p. 68; MEGA, p. 111.

25 Ibid., MEGA, p. 111.

26 Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, Tucker, , p. 70Google Scholar; MEGA, p. 113.

27 Ibid., MEGA, pp. 113-14.

28 Ibid., MEGA, p. 114.

29 Marx, , letter to Ruge, in Writings of the Young Marx on Philosophy and Society, ed. and translated by Easton, L.D. and Guddat, K. H. (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1967), p. 213Google Scholar.

30 Marx, , Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 (Selections) in Tucker, , p. 79Google Scholar; MEGA, p. 126.

31 Ibid., pp. 78-79; MEGA, pp. 125-26.

32 Marx, , Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 in Easton, and Guddat, , p. 331Google Scholar; MEGA, pp. 166–67.

33 MEGA, p. 111.

34 Avineri, , The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx, p. 222Google Scholar.

35 Marx, letter to Ruge, in Easton and Guddat, pp. 212-13.

36 Ibid., p. 214–15.

37 Marx, , “Toward the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Law: Introduction,” in Easton, and Guddat, , pp. 263–64Google Scholar.

38 Feuerbach, Ludwig, Principles of the Philosophy of the Future, in The Fiery Brook: Selected Writings of Ludwig Feuerbach, translated by Hanfi, Zawar (New York: Doubleday & Co., 1972), p. 243Google Scholar.

39 McLellan, , Marx Before Marxism, p. 194Google Scholar.

40 Marx, , Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 (Selections), in Tucker, , p. 54Google Scholar; MEGA, p. 34.

41 Marx, , Critical Notes on “The King of Prussia and Social Reform” (1844), in Easton, and Guddat, , p. 353Google Scholar.

42 MEGA, p. 134.

43 MEGA, p. 134.

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