The podcast discusses Marxist theories on value form theory, anti-imperialism critique, and anti-Semitism critique. They explore traditional Marxism interpretations, the complexities of anti-imperialism, capitalism critique, structural antisemitism, and the vision of a fully automated luxury communist society.
Moishe Postone challenges the traditional Marxist understanding of socialism as collective ownership of the means of production and centralized planning, arguing that it fails to recognize the unique dynamics of capitalism.
Postone highlights the distinction between value and use value, criticizes the fetishization of violence by some Marxists, and advocates for transforming the production process itself to move beyond capitalism.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of considering Marx's analysis of value in its own historically determinant terms and explores the dangers of crude anti-capitalism veering into anti-Semitic narratives.
Deep dives
Postone's critique of traditional Marxism
Postone challenges the traditional Marxist understanding of socialism as collective ownership of the means of production and centralized planning in an industrialized context. He argues that this understanding is tied to a transhistorical view of labor and fails to recognize the unique dynamics of capitalism. He emphasizes the need to reexamine and reread Marx's work to gain a deeper understanding of capital and value.
The significance of value and use value
Postone highlights the distinction between value and use value, asserting that value is a historically specific form of wealth, not a transhistorical category. He critiques the fetishization of violence and the abstract by some Marxists, arguing that it is reactionary rather than emancipatory. He explores the limitations imposed by the value form on labor and advocates for the transformation of the production process itself to move beyond capitalism.
Postone's modernization theory of capital
Postone develops a theory of capital that focuses on its unique logic and dynamics. He argues against a simplistic view of progress and emphasizes the need to understand the historical specificity of value as a form of wealth. Postone's critique is situated within capitalism and offers insights into potential paths for transcending capitalist systems. He influences thinkers with disparate perspectives, reflecting his attention to the complexities of capital and its implications for revolutionary agency.
Critique of Political Economy and Trans-Historical Theory
The podcast discusses the importance of considering Marx's analysis of value in its own historically determinant terms, rather than treating it as a trans-historical theory of political economy. It emphasizes that Marx had a political economy rather than a critique of political economy, and argues against the need to argue for or against Marx's theory of value. While Marx's analysis of modern societies may not be proven correct by the historically specific category of value, it is essential to understand his analysis within its own context.
The Problem of Structural Anti-Semitism and Conspiracy Theories
The podcast explores the concept of structural anti-Semitism and its relation to conspiracy theories. It highlights the danger of crude anti-capitalism that focuses on a small group of people, often tied to finance, as the controllers of the world. This line of thinking can veer into anti-Semitic narratives, blaming Jews or Zionists for controlling global events. It also discusses the impact of structural anti-Semitism on the left and how it can lead to problematic thinking, such as 9/11 truth theories and the demonization of Israel. The podcast urges for a rejection of such narratives and the reconstruction of genuine, emancipatory internationalism.
This week, The Gang gets subsumed to the value-form (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) as we read three essays by the late Canadian marxist Moishe Postone :
"Critique and Historical Transformation" (2004)
"History and Helplessness" (2006)
"Rethinking 'Capital' in Light of the 'Grudrisse'" (2008)
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