Summers, Jesse Sean; (2004) Motivating Marxian descriptions. Masters thesis (M.Phil), UCL (University College London).

Text Motivating_Marxian_description.pdf Download (3MB)

Abstract

There is good reason to think that Marx's writings do not contain an explicitly normative moral theory. Nevertheless, the average reader of Marx is to be forgiven for thinking that his presentation of capitalism is certainly not neutral and for believing that his calls for revolution must be grounded on precisely such a normative theory. I propose that this misreading of Marx has an explanation that grants that there is no normative theory underlying Marx's writings but argues that there is an evaluative position from which he writes. This evaluative position contains values, primarily in the form of what I will call 'thick evaluative terms', but not norms. It is this evaluative position that is easily mistaken for a normative theory, thus explaining the misreading. This evaluative position, moreover, is descriptive rather than prescriptive, so Marx is justified in holding that his position is descriptive. While descriptions may not clearly contain norms - such would apparently violate Hume's Law against deriving an 'ought' from an 'is' - they must be allowed values. In fact, if descriptions may not include values, then they will not even be able to describe facts. Therefore, Marx may hold his evaluative position without being forced to redescribe his enterprise as a prescriptive one. Finally, there is a close link between values and motivation, and this explains why Marx is justified in his revolutionary call. He may not clearly be able to support the position that one ought to have a revolution, but he can provide strongly motivating reason for revolution from his evaluative position, all without leaving the realm of the truly descriptive.

Download activity - last month

Export as JSONCSVXML

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as CSVJSONXML

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as CSVJSONXML

Archive Staff Only

View Item