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What's Left of Philosophy
78 | Perry Anderson's Considerations on Western Marxism
Dec 5, 2023
The hosts discuss the influence of Perry Anderson and his book 'Considerations on Western Marxism'. They explore the emergence of Western Marxism and the shift from economics to philosophy. They also discuss the connection between political organizations and Marxist themes, the shift to practical concerns in Marxism, the narrowing of academic philosophy, and the decline of mass politics in Western Marxism.
58:22
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- The shift towards philosophy in Western Marxism disconnected it from practical engagement with social struggles, severing the dynamic bond between theory and mass revolutionary action.
- The dilemma faced by Western Marxist thinkers between disciplined organizational constraints and isolation led to the narrowing of Western Marxism and a lack of a dynamic relationship between theory and practice.
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The theoretical shift in Western Marxism
Anderson explores the shift in Western Marxism from the practical and political concerns of classical Marxism to the hyper-focus on method and philosophy. He argues that influential figures like Sartre, Adorno, and Horkheimer, despite being chairs of philosophy at universities, had limited knowledge of the classical tradition and its engagement with economic and political structures. This shift towards philosophy and away from practical engagement with social struggles severed the dynamic bond between Marxism and mass revolutionary action.
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Discover
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