Karl Marx's Theory of History by G. A. Cohen
Author:G. A. Cohen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2020-01-15T00:00:00+00:00
(1) Identifying the Superstructure
CHAPTER III examined the economic structure, the âreal foundationâ upon which a superstructure rises. The economic structure was said to be the sum total of production relations, and these were provisionally construed as sets of rights of persons over productive forces. We warned that the language of rights would have to be replaced, and one aim of the present chapter is to show why it must and how it may give way to a distinct language of effective powers.
Marx gave no definite demarcation of the superstructure. Does it include ideology? We shall suppose that it does not, but little will rest on this decision, and much of what we say about the superstructure will apply to ideology too. We take the superstructure to be a set of non-economic institutions, notably the legal system and the state.1 Our main concern will be the law, not the state as such.
Two distinct definitions of âsuperstructureâ are implicit in classical and subsequent Marxism:
(1) The superstructure = all non-economic institutions.
(2) The superstructure = those non-economic institutions whose character is explained by the nature of the economic structure.
No specifically Marxian terms occur in the first definition. The second is more theoretical, because of its reference to the economic structure, a concept of Marxian theory.
Whichever definition is chosen, the substantive claim is, very roughly:
(3) The character of non-economic institutions is largely explained by the nature of the economic structure.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
International Integration of the Brazilian Economy by Elias C. Grivoyannis(75926)
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore(11641)
Turbulence by E. J. Noyes(7720)
Nudge - Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Thaler Sunstein(7262)
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb(6786)
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki(6197)
Pioneering Portfolio Management by David F. Swensen(6092)
Man-made Catastrophes and Risk Information Concealment by Dmitry Chernov & Didier Sornette(5674)
Zero to One by Peter Thiel(5508)
Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein(4407)
Millionaire: The Philanderer, Gambler, and Duelist Who Invented Modern Finance by Janet Gleeson(4118)
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff(4002)
Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb(3983)
The Money Culture by Michael Lewis(3862)
Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber(3851)
Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb(3739)
The Dhandho Investor by Mohnish Pabrai(3575)
The Wisdom of Finance by Mihir Desai(3539)
Blockchain Basics by Daniel Drescher(3343)
