Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part One CAPITAL: PRINCIPLE FEATURES OF THE MARXIAN “CANON”
- Part Two ORIGINS: MARX IN THE 1840s
- Part Three A “SECOND DRAFT” OF CAPITAL: THE GRUNDRISSE 1857–1858
- Part Four A “THIRD DRAFT” OF CAPITAL: THE ECONOMIC MANUSCRIPTS 1861–1863
- Part Five TOPICS IN APPLICATION
- 13 Economic Organization and the Equality Issue
- 14 Is There a Marxian “Entrepreneur”? On the Functions of the Industrial Capitalist
- 15 Principles of Social Reform
- Conclusion: A Recapitulation and Overview
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
15 - Principles of Social Reform
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 June 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part One CAPITAL: PRINCIPLE FEATURES OF THE MARXIAN “CANON”
- Part Two ORIGINS: MARX IN THE 1840s
- Part Three A “SECOND DRAFT” OF CAPITAL: THE GRUNDRISSE 1857–1858
- Part Four A “THIRD DRAFT” OF CAPITAL: THE ECONOMIC MANUSCRIPTS 1861–1863
- Part Five TOPICS IN APPLICATION
- 13 Economic Organization and the Equality Issue
- 14 Is There a Marxian “Entrepreneur”? On the Functions of the Industrial Capitalist
- 15 Principles of Social Reform
- Conclusion: A Recapitulation and Overview
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Introduction
This chapter asks the question: What, for Marx, if anything, could be expected by way of concessions from the bourgeoisie in terms of its willingness and ability to improve working-class well-being? We take as our point of departure Ludwig von Mises's position that “Marx and the school of orthodox Marxism” was more opposed to social reform measures within capitalist organization in later years – viewing them as “reactionary” – than they had been earlier: “From the point of view of this later doctrine Marx and the school of orthodox Marxism reject all policies that pretend to restrain, to regulate and to improve capitalism. Such policies, they declare, are not only futile, but outright harmful. For they rather delay the coming of age of capitalism, its maturity, and thereby also its collapse. They are, therefore, not progressive, but reactionary” (1980 [1950]: 29). The evidence we shall bring points rather to increasing appreciation on Marx's part, as time passed, of the potential for welfare reform within capitalist organization. Indeed, social reform comes to be represented as a necessary characteristic of advanced capitalism. Marx emerges as the “first revisionist.”
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Economics of Karl MarxAnalysis and Application, pp. 444 - 462Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008