Suchergebnisse

Marx intended to develop his 'Economics', of which Capital represents the first part, in accordance with: (1) the 'materialist' conception of the relation between society & state, & (2) the Hegelian model of scientific exposition. Both of these features of the 'Economics' derive originally from Marx's 1843 "Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right." Marx's statements about the 'Economics', & his topic-outlines for the work, show that it was to parallel in its topics & structure that part of Hegel's Philosophy of Right that treats civil society, state, international law, & world history. This view of the 'Economics' as projected on the model of Hegelian social-political science has implications that bear both on Marx's failure to finish the work & also on the character of Capital as a statement of Marx's political-economic doctrine: in the first instance, the still-developing 'world' of capitalist production resisted theoretical appropriation & depiction of a Hegelian-dialectical sort; & consequently, in the second instance, Capital remains only a partial & 'abstract' depiction of the capitalist system in operation. AA.

The development of Marx's mature social and political theory may be traced back in his writings to his political journalism of 1842–43, where a germinal doctrine on man's social nature supports a normative concept of the nature and function of political institutions. But his developing theory first achieved a measure of systematic rigor in his Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right. This work, Marx's earliest major theoretical writing, has lately received increased attention from scholars. My purpose here is to complement existing studies by highlighting certain methodological features of the work, specifically the way in which Marx combined elements of philosophical and political criticism in a systematic effort to develop his own political theory in opposition to the method and institutional conclusions of Hegel.