Open Marxism is a critical Marxist school of thought which critiques state socialism[1] and party politics, stressing the need for openness to praxis and history through an anti-positivist method grounded in the "practical reflexivity" of Karl Marx's own concepts.[2] The "openness" in open Marxism also refers to a non-deterministic view of history in which the unpredictability of class struggle is foregrounded.[3]

It is very strongly anti-structuralist in both its Marxism–Leninist[4] and Althusserian[5] forms, and there is significant overlap with some schools of post-Marxism.[6]

Overview

The sources of open Marxism (sometimes called the 'warm stream of Marxism'[7]) are many, from György Lukács' return to the philosophical roots of Marx's thinking to council communism, the New Left and elements of Autonomism and situationism.[8] Derrida describes an 'open' Marxist tradition in an interview from 1980.[9]

It often (though not always) aligned itself with humanist Marxism.[10] Hegel is often the common thread within these tendencies.[3] Intellectual affinities with autonomist Marxism were especially strong and led to the creation of the journal The Commoner (2001–2012) following in the wake of previous open Marxist journals Arguments (1958–1962)[11] and Common Sense (1987–1999).

In the 1970s and 1980s, state-derivationist debates around the separation of the economic and the political under capitalism unfolded in the working group Kapitalistate and the Conference of Socialist Economists[12] journal Capital & Class, involving many of the theorists of Open Marxism and significantly influencing its theoretical development.[13]

Three volumes entitled Open Marxism were published by Pluto Press in the 1990s. A fourth volume, again published by Pluto, appeared in 2020. The authorship of the latest volume showed how far the influence of Open Marxism has spread from Europe to Latin America.[14]

Theorists

'Open Leninism'

Some scholars discuss the existence of an 'open Leninism', or a Neo-Leninism,[56] that is, a critical[57] Hegelian, or post-structural Leninism that is critical of Marxism-Leninism[58] as it existed in the 20th century.[59][60] The work of Lars T. Lih,[61] Kevin B. Anderson,[62] Kai Heron,[63]Jodi Dean,[64] Andreas Malm,[65] Antonio Negri,[66] Alberto Toscano[67] and Slavoj Zizek[68] have been representative of this trend. Some 'open', critical Marxists have also been staunch Leninists, such as Theodor W. Adorno,[69] Antonio Gramsci,[70] György Lukács,[71] Henri Lefebvre,[72] Ernest Mandel[73] Victor Serge[74] and Evgeny Pashukanis[75]

Criticism

Some critics have alleged that open Marxism is too open[76]- a charge of 'subjectivism' [77] and 'voluntarism'[78] is sometimes levelled, though its authors, particularly John Holloway have responded to this.[79]

Others claim that open Marxist accounts tend to treat the national capitalist state abstractly, without reference to uneven and combined development and international forms of class struggle in the capitalist "world-system".[80]

Like other forms of Marxism, it has been criticised for being totalising, universalising and Eurocentric.[81]

Open Marxism, whilst being fairly unified analytically, has very different political implications. Some, like Negri, argue for a revolution against capitalism[82]. Others, like Pitts, argue for quite mild social democracy against a more radical Left movement[83][84]. Others, such as Hall, argue for a left populism.[85][86]

See also

References

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  3. 1 2 "A libertarian Marxist tendency map | libcom.org". libcom.org. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
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  5. Charnock, Greig; Starosta, Guido (June 2023). "'If "Marxists" would only read Marx': The significance of Simon Clarke's Marxism". Capital & Class. 47 (2): 177–181. doi:10.1177/03098168231171786. ISSN 0309-8168.
  6. Harrison, Oliver (October 2016). "Occupy: 'Struggles for the common' or an 'anti-politics of dignity'? Reflections on Hardt and Negri and John Holloway". Capital & Class. 40 (3): 495–510. doi:10.1177/0309816816653877. ISSN 0309-8168. S2CID 147973886.
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Further reading

  • Axelos, K. ([1976] 1961). Alienation, Techne and Praxis in the Thought of Karl Marx. Trans. R. Buzina. Austin: University of Texas Press.
  • Axelos, K. (1984). Systematique ouverte (Open Systems). Les Editions de Minuit: Paris.
  • Bonefeld, W., Gunn, R., Psychopedis, K. (Eds.)(1992). Open Marxism, vol. 1: Dialectics and History. London: Pluto Press (ISBN 978-0-7453-0590-5).
  • Bonefeld, W., Gunn, R., Psychopedis, K. (Eds.)(1992). Open Marxism - vol. 2: Theory and Practice. London: Pluto Press (ISBN 978-0-7453-0591-2).
  • Bonefeld, W., Holloway, J., Psychopedis, K. (Eds.)(1995). Open Marxism - vol. 3: Emancipating Marx. London: Pluto Press (ISBN 978-0-7453-0864-7).
  • Bonefeld, W., and Psychopedis, K. (Eds.).(2005). Human Dignity: Social Autonomy and the Critique of Capitalism. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
  • Clarke, S. (1983). "State, Class Struggle, and the Reproduction of Capital". Kapitalistate. Vol. 10 (11): pg. 118-33.
  • Clarke, S. ed. (1991). The State Debate. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Cleaver, H. (1977). Reading Capital Politically. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
  • Dinerstein, A., Garcia Vela, A. Gonzalez,E., Holloway, J. (2020). Open Marxism 4: Against a Closing World. London: Pluto.
  • Holloway, J., Matamoros, F., Tischler, S. (2009). Negativity and Revolution: Adorno & Political Activism. London: Pluto Press (ISBN 978-987-22929-2-8)
  • Holloway, J. (2002). Change the World Without Taking Power: The Meaning of Revolution Today. London: Pluto Press.
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