Negotiated Contradictions
Abstract
Though the assertion of class struggle as the principal contradiction of capitalism was a leading achievement of Marxist thought, it is argued that Marxism, like critical thought in general, tends to overidealize the working class. This view positions workers -- or the people as a whole -- as "liberating victims," denying them their role as negotiators & the "merchants of their own labor power," even in their rebelliousness against oppression & exploitation. It is contended that the history of capitalism is one of "negotiated contradictions" within & between classes; several examples are offered since the emergence of capitalism -- in the late 20th century, highlighting negotiated contradictions at the international level surrounding colonialism & technological development. A systems theory approach is utilized to explain how negotiated contradictions form the basis of contemporary capitalist megaorganizations & their role in neoliberal globalization; such an analysis also illuminates the inadequacy of Marxist determinist concepts. K. Hyatt Stewart
Themen
Capitalism, Class Relations, Contradictions, Globalization, Market Economy, Marxist Analysis, Negotiation, Systems Theory, Theoretical Problems
Sprachen
Englisch
Verlag
Merlin
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