Theological Marxism

Author(s): ARUN K PATNAIK

Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 46, No. 43 (OCTOBER 22-28, 2011), pp. 143-144
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
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 DISCUSSION
Theological Marxism
ARUN K PATNAIK
Murzban Jal (epw, 24 September
...nothing
2011) suppresses a whole lot
of insights or questions on
Marx, thereby reinforcing a
theological attitude among those
ple: here is the truth, kneel down before it! Weslogan of struggle", for the real struggles
who are associated with the
communist parties.
Arun K Patnaik (akpatnaiki@yahoo.com)
teaches political science at the University of
Hyderabad.
Economic & Political weekly EQQ3 october 22, 2011 vol xlvi no 43 *43
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of transcendence of the State, etc), then
they ought to be doing the following things
as advised by Marx in the above passage.
First, try to identify with real struggles
of people. Second, never advise people to
cease their struggles or call such struggles
prevents us from making criticismfoolish just because they do not match
of politics, participation in politics, and there
with a pre-existing set of principles. Never
fore real struggles, the starting point of our
ask struggles to "kneel down" before the
criticism and from identifying our criticism
with them. In that case we do not confront the communist in a doctrinaire way. Third,
world in a doctrinaire way with a new princicommunists should not lay claim to any "true
develop new principles for the world out of the
of real people and their principles are true
world's own principles. We do not say to the
starting points for a Marxist. Fourth, the
world: cease your struggles; they are foolish;
we give you the true slogan of struggle. We communist must not collapse into a roman
merely show the world what it is really fighttic rebel but must carry out a criticism of
ing for, and consciousness is something that it popular struggles, if necessary. But any such
has to acquire, even if it does not want to. criticism must not lead a communist to
- K Marx (1844) in Collected Works, Vol 3
throw popular struggles overboard. How
(Moscow: Progress Publishers), 1975, p 144.
ever, communists followed the last princi
ple rather than the first three principles of
"Leninism as Radical 'Desireology"' Marx. Communists are out to teach the
As I read
,(epw, 24Murzban
September 2011),JaPs
I am paper world, without ever learning from it or
reminded of Hal Draper's remarks on Marx identifying with its struggles. As a result,
ists who usually forget that the standards of the world today refuses to learn from them.
scrutiny they apply in judging liberalism
Teach and Learn
and capitalism ought to be applied to Marx's
own ideas. Draper, being a Marxist himself, Instead of asking communists to kneel down
implies how Marxists offer a split methodo before the world, Jal asks them to bow
logical discourse and advises us instead to down before Marx, whereas the poor Marx
follow Paul Sweez/s uniform methodologi asks his comrades not to impose themselves
cal guideline. Sweezy argued that just as on the world and moreover urged them to
Marxism tries to distinguish between the learn from it, while teaching the world. Jal
essence and non-essence of liberal philoso offers us a critique of communists in terms
phies, so also non-Marxists may follow the of their theological belief in Marx: Marx is
same methodological criterion while dealing always right. His advice to our comrades is
with Marx. By implication, what Sweezy rec contrary to Marx's own advice to his own
ommends for non-Marxists must apply to comrades. Nowhere does Jal talk about the
Marxists while evaluating Marx's own ideas. crisis of communism in terms of its refusal
Marxism must not indulge in self-love and to identify with people's struggles against
must not claim that Marx is always right. capitalism in many forms and organisations
Marxism must subordinate itself to world other than those already identified by com
history as well as specific history or what munists themselves. This is a more serious
Lenin calls "the concrete analysis of the problem in communist circles: a doctrinaire
concrete situation". Historical materialism attitude as Marx characterises it. The com
today must move beyond Marx. That is in munists' imposition of what they think is the
deed the spirit of the adjective: historical. "true slogan of struggle" on people's strug
Otherwise, it would not remain historical gles is a major problem not even identified
or materialistic as I shall show below. by Jal's philosophical sophistry. Similarly,
If Murzban Jal or the communist parties he does not tell us that the communists
were to identify themselves with the spirit ought to learn from people's struggles rather
of Marx's method, not simply parrot his than look up to Marx or Lenin.
slogans or concepts (such as "the task, Jal misses Marx's methodological advice
however, is to change the world" or theory to his comrades that they must have a
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DISCUSSION

dialectical relation with the world at any

Withering away of the state is notthinkers
even a is dialectical (critical apprecia
point of time and as a result of this, he option as was, no doubt, tion),
daydream he did not adopt such a position when
the case
falls for Marx's slogans and principles 19th century. A rethinking ofhe
and
in the critiqued
the old his contemporaries. Commu
produces a theological reading. Marxian nists share the same attitude towards any
Jal doesprinciples is necessary today.
Marx's
not advise comrades that they ought to dualities in conceiving civil soci
thing other than themselves, leading thus
discover the world's own principles in a relook. Sometimes, he confuses
ety need to a greater fragmentation of the commu
people's struggles rather than civil
parrot
society with a general society.nist movement once they notice a commu
Some
Marx's own discoveries in the 19th times,
century.he flattens it with capitalist eco
nist dissident. Communists display a very
As Louis Althusser noted, there arenomy,
many a point well made by Gramsciilliberal
in attitude towards inner party
new movements like women's movements disagreement with Marx. His theory of or inter-party democracy. This
democracy
and ecology movements in our times. We property-based exploitation needs
hasto be them to an irrelevant corner of
pushed
can add to the growing list: national move expanded to incorporate non-property
history. But this illiberalism is inherited
from Marx and Lenin. If the communist
ments, dalit movements, adivasi move based oppression/suppression as Foucault
movement
ments, anti-nuclear movements and anti and Gramsci point out. His definition of has to be relevant today, it
displacement movements. In the neo class in terms of ownership of themust rethink about all this and must re
means
liberal era, such movements tend to grow. of production needs to be expandedmain
to add
open to a sympathetic critique rather
It necessarily involves the transcendence "control over the distribution of the sur than latch on to a "tailist" sympathiser who
(affirmation, negation and overcoming) plus" as Cem Somel (epw, 24 Septembermay only have a corrupting influence over
of Marx's principles as outlined by him2011) highlights. His simplistic conception the social movements.
more than a century ago. Paul Sweez/s of division of labour that we can do what
advice to non-Marxists must be carried out ever we desire to do from morning to post A 21st Century Marx
by Marxists themselves with respect to dinner needs to be relooked at as pointed We cannot give up Marx today nor can we
Marx. So a question needs to be asked: out by many Marx sympathisers. As stated own him fully. As we live in new times and
What is the essence of Marx that needs to
by S Timpanaro, his conception of praxis as new contexts, we need to transcend the
be distinguished from the non-essence progressive, optimistic and transcendental limits set by him. We must pose the old
from the point of view of present-dayneeds to be re-examined. There could be questions raised by Marx's "mode of pro
struggles? People's struggles are the foci room for pessimism in human nature.duction" perspective, new materialism, di
of Marx's "new materialism" or what Certain painful material realities like death,
alectical thinking, and so on; however, we
Engels calls historical materialism. natural
This disasters, animalist desires of humanmust ask such questions in a new format.
method needs to be applied to Marx's
beings, etc, cannot be transcended. AWe may also discover new insights in his
critique of political economy. Withoutsocialist
this praxis must aim to engage withworks about domestic labour as part social
procedure, any reading - pro-Marx orthese
anti aspects rather than wish them awayand part natural but an initial form of the
Marx - would remain trapped within a
or suppress division of labour. We may learn new
them. By not recognising these
aspects,
Biblical spirit. A true communist must act Marx's praxis retains idealistic insights from his penchant critique of capital
like Marx rather than imitate him. He/she
residues. Therefore, there are limits to tranism for destroying nature and animal free
ought to identify, learn, never impose, and
scendental dom, not just human freedom. Marxism
praxis. Similarly, Marx's attitude
towards human rights is slippery, even
educate people's struggles for a better world. Leninism blinded us for a long time in the
above matters. However, we must ask new
though he talks about "rights of humanity"
Marx's 'Deficits'
questions too, those not raised by Marx.
as stated by Jal. It is not clear if such rights
What constituent in Marx's critique of
of humanity, Also, we must not hesitate to overcome the
in communist society, may
political economy must be transcended in
arise against the state or civil society or
illiberal barriers created by Marx for his
the 21st century? There are quite nature.
a lot ofThere is thus no theory of humanfailure to live up to the expectations of his
deficits in Marx. His theory of therights
state possible
is in Marx, as the state, civil
own dialectical and materialist theory as
very weak. This needs to be improved upon.
society and antagonism with nature wither
discussed above. For, we acutely realise his
His simplistic theory of withering away ofthe communist phase of history.
away in deficits now in comparison with the 19th
institutions (including the family/state)
Thus, a Marxist theory of human rights
century context. As Marx said, every gen
cannot be rehashed as Jal proposes. today
Today,
is very opportunistic. Marxism doeseration can only ask those questions that it
people's struggles focus on the transfor
not believe in human rights and yet thecan seek to solve. Maybe our generation is
mation of the state rather than its human
abruptrights movement is a cover for
better placed to ask these questions today. I
or gradual abolition (=witheringMarxist
away). expansionism, a point made by
am afraid, by suppressing all these insights
The central feature of all movements is to
K Balagopal very forcefully. or questions on Marx offered by many
reconstruct the nature of the state, expand
Last but not the least, let us not forgetMarxists or socialist sympathisers today,
its networks, promote autonomy of Marx's hostile/condescending attitudes
subal Jal reinforces a theological attitude among
tern classes or communities, work for the all his contemporaries, like, for
towards comrades, even though he is rightly critical
expansion of their autonomy and example,
so on his view of J S Mill's liberal of them for their parliamentary cretinism
which the neo-liberal state dreads to offer. or adventurism.
socialism. While his attitude towards past

144 october 22, 2011 vol xlvi no 43 CEC3 Economic & Political weekly

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