New Books Network Michael Lazarus, "Absolute Ethical Life: Aristotle, Hegel and Marx" (Stanford UP, 2025)
Oct 26, 2025
Michael Lazarus, a lecturer in political theory and author of *Absolute Ethical Life*, discusses the ethical dimensions of capitalism through the lenses of Aristotle, Hegel, and Marx. He reinterprets Marx as an ethical thinker, emphasizing how capitalism shapes our institutions and values. Lazarus critiques prominent thinkers like Arendt and MacIntyre, advocating for a robust ethical life beyond capitalism. He explores Marx's value-form theory and its implications for human flourishing while arguing for systemic solutions in contemporary politics.
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Marx's Ethics Emerge From Political Economy
- Marx's ethics are rooted in his critique of political economy rather than mere semantic debates about morality words.
- Lazarus argues Marx's value theory makes capitalism's ethical significance visible and normative claims defensible.
Absolute Ethical Life Reframes Institutions
- 'Absolute ethical life' is Hegel's term for institutionalized, collective forms of ethics beyond individual morality.
- Lazarus reads Hegel's 'absolute' constructively to link Hegelian dialectic with Marxist critique of capitalism.
Capital Describes A Form Of Life
- Capital should be read as describing capitalism as a social form of life, not just an economic system.
- Value-form theory reveals how economic relations shape institutions, recognition, and everyday social behavior.
