New Books in Political Science 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, explores the intersections of Marx, Aristotle, and Hegel. He argues that Marx's critique of capitalism isn't just economic but fundamentally ethical, reshaping our understanding of freedom and agency. Lazarus highlights the limitations of thinkers like Arendt and MacIntyre, advocating for a broader framework of political action connected to contemporary social issues like climate change. His insights challenge us to rethink ethics as deeply embedded in our historical and social contexts.
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Marx's Ethics Rooted In Political Economy
- Marx's ethics arises from his critique of political economy, not merely semantic debates about morality.
- Value theory and alienation ground Marx's normative claims about human flourishing under capitalism.
Occupy Sparked The Project
- Lazarus began engaging Marx after participating in the Occupy movement while studying philosophy at Sussex University.
- That activism plus reading Plato and Aristotle shaped his interest in ethics and capitalism.
Absolute Ethical Life Means Institutions
- 'Absolute ethical life' (Hegel) denotes institutionalized, collective forms of ethical life beyond private morality.
- Lazarus reads Hegel's absolute as useful, not merely metaphysical, for Marxist critiques of capitalism.
