Marxism Beyond the Economy and Exploitation Beyond the Wage

Since its inception Marxism has largely operated with a narrow definition of the economy which closely resembles capitalism’s own, focusing on wage labor as the pre-eminent example of capitalist relations of labor. A century-long series of challenges from heterodox radical economists, including those based in feminism and anti-colonial theory, has yet to broaden this definition of capitalism, but the fading importance of wage labor and the advent of new forms of precarious labor relations may allow us to break the hold of restrictive ideas of the economy. A larger, more comprehensive concept of economics locates value production and material exploitation in many forms of labor in addition to waged work, and provides a theoretical platform for building solidarity among seemingly disparate movements and constituencies. Marxism can and must incorporate critiques if it is to have continuing relevance. In fact, Marx’s original understanding of capitalism included the concepts of primitive accumulation and the reproduction of labor power, allowing broader concepts of capitalist exploitation to be incorporated into the Marxist worldview. New insights into the essential nature of capitalism and new possibilities for organizing and change may emerge from this paradigm shift.     

Rents,knowledge and neo-structuralism: transforming the productive matrix in Ecuador

This paper explores the relationship between ground rent, production and knowledge in Ecuador’s neo-structuralist, state-led project to transform the productive matrix. Based upon insights from the Marxian approach to the critique of political economy, we interrogate how neo-structuralism has conceptualised the relationship between ‘natural resource income’ and ‘knowledge-based’ economic development. The paper argues that a rent-theoretical perspective, which takes seriously the regional unfolding of uneven geographical development in Latin America, can highlight the limits of a national development plan conceived according to the logic of Schumpeterian efficiency. In doing so, the paper identifies the contradictory relationship between natural resource exports, state-led ‘knowledge’-based development and capital accumulation. On this basis the paper offers a historically and empirically informed critical analysis of selective import substitution industrialisation and vanguard science and technology strategies designed to transition Ecuador away from primary resource dependence.     

Why economics needs to be distinguished from physics,and why economists need to talk to physicists: a response to Foster and Holleman

Foster and Holleman argue that the systems ecologist H.T. Odum offered a valid theoretical framework for conceptualizing ecologically unequal exchange, and demonstrate its affinity with the Marxian theory of unequal exchange of embodied labour. However, both approaches suffer from the same fundamental confusion of the biophysical and the economic. The affinity between labour and energy theories of the unequal exchange of value was demonstrated by S.C. Lonergan already in 1988, but to thus define asymmetric transfers of biophysical resources in terms of underpaid ‘use values’ is misleading. Foster's recent endorsement of Odum is inconsistent with his earlier rejection of Odum's intellectual ancestor S. Podolinsky. While the ambition to ecologize Marx is laudable, it is in the interests of correct historiography and contemporary environmental justice activism to untangle some of the analytical problems in Foster and Holleman's article. A major problem is their failure to acknowledge the implications of N. Georgescu-Roegen's conceptualization of the relation between economics and thermodynamics.     

Pitirim Sorokin’s contribution to rural sociology: Russian,European and American milestones of a scientific career

ABSTRACT

The whole of Pitirim Sorokin’s fascinating and difficult scientific life led to his fundamental works on urban–rural relationships being expressed in the terms ‘rural–urban continuum’ and ‘rurbanism’. However, only a few special studies have been devoted to different aspects of his biography and scientific interests. The legacy of Sorokin as a rural sociologist has not yet become a subject of special studies in Russian social science. This contribution considers the key stages of Sorokin’s scientific career as contributing to the development and institutionalization of rural sociology as a discipline closely connected with urban sociology.     

新时代的人文关怀：马克思主义社会工作的回顾与前瞻

在马克思主义的影响下,社会工作从20世纪60年代起开始摒弃弗洛伊德的自然人的理论假设,倡导在历史和社会场景中理解人的成长改变要求,给服务对象以真正的人文关怀。尽管马克思主义对社会工作的影响经历了马克思主义社会工作、结构社会工作、反排斥与反歧视社会工作和批判社会工作等不同的发展阶段,但是,它们都认同人是历史社会结构中的人这一马克思主义社会工作的基本观点,主张通过权力关系的分析和平等关系的倡导实现个人成长与社会改变的结合。值得注意的是,20世纪90年代之后,多元价值的倡导使马克思主义社会工作的社会结构视角面临不确定性、多元主义和主体性不足的严峻挑战,需要汲取中国哲学的精神资源,围绕“变化”重新理解历史社会结构中的人,将马克思主义与社会工作的场景实践整合起来,以过程唯物论作为多元社会下社会工作实践的理论基础,真正在新时代的实践中呈现人文关怀,为本土经验的国际化做出自己应有的贡献。     

“三型”马克思主义执政党:开拓党的建设新境界

党的十八大报告中首次提出"建设学习型、服务型、创新型的马克思主义执政党",而且将这个党的建设总目标写入了新修改的党章。从党的建设总目标的历史探索轨迹和党的建设总布局的形成发展轨迹看,从对执政党建设的理论意义和现实意义看,要把中国共产党建设成为学习型、服务型、创新型的马克思主义执政党确实是一项全新的重大课题。"学习型、服务型、创新型"既是一个系统的价值整体,同时,在这个系统中,又必须凸显全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨,紧紧围绕改进服务方式、提高服务质量来加强学习、开拓创新,惟其如此,才能真正体现马克思主义执政党作为实现、维护和发展人民群众利益的工具的本质。     

马克思主义大众化在中国道路中的价值功能

中国道路是围绕什么是社会主义,怎样建设社会主义这个根本问题,在理论和实践中形成和发展起来的中国特色社会主义道路。人民大众坚定走中国道路是中华民族实现伟大复兴的前提,这需要用马克思主义理论武装人民大众,并在人民大众的中国道路实践中,充分彰显马克思主义理论的科学认知、方法指引、实践指导价值功能。     

中国共产党推进马克思主义中国化的基本经验

中国共产党在中国革命、建设、改革的历史进程中始终坚持马克思主义中国化,积累了宝贵的历史经验。认真总结这些宝贵经验,对于更好地开创科学发展的新局面具有非常重要的意义。     

论李大钊对马克思主义信仰的认同逻辑

李大钊对马克思主义的认同是近代中国人接受和认同马克思主义过程中的一个典型案例。研究李大钊认同马克思主义的行为,搞清楚李大钊为什么认同马克思主义,怎样认同马克思主义,以及认同什么样的马克思主义这些基本问题,对于从主体和感性方面理解马克思主义在中国社会的全面兴起具有重要意义。     

试论中越两国马克思主义的本土创新

中越两国都把马克思主义作为本国意识形态的指导思想,两国在马克思主义的本土创新中,既有许多相似之处,也有各自鲜明的特色。对两国马克思主义的本土创新进行比较研究,既有利于在理论上拓宽马克思主义本土创新的研究视野,促进中越两国马克思主义的本土创新,也有利于正确认识并更好地应对当前中越两国马克思主义的本土创新在实践中所面临的各种问题和挑战。