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What makes communism possible? The self-realisation interpretation

Kandiyali, Jan

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Authors

Profile image of Jan Kandiyali

Dr Jan Kandiyali jan.kandiyali@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Political Theory



Abstract

In the Critique of Gotha Programme, Karl Marx famously argues that a communist society will be characterised by the principle, ‘From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs!’ I take up a question about this principle that was originally posed by G.A. Cohen, namely: what makes communism (so conceived) possible for Marx? In reply to this question, Cohen interprets Marx as saying that communism is possible because of limitless abundance, a view that Cohen takes to be implausible for ecological reasons. I develop a new interpretation of Marx's position. On this interpretation, people in communist society achieve self-realisation through providing others with the goods and services required for their self-realisation. Coupled with a reasonably high (but not immense) development of productive power, self-realisation generates conditions in which people can produce according to their abilities and receive according to their needs. I defend this view as an interpretation of Marx and I argue that it represents a more plausible account of what makes communism possible than Cohen's interpretation in which technological advance and limitless abundance play the predominant role.

Citation

Kandiyali, J. (2024). What makes communism possible? The self-realisation interpretation. Politics, Philosophy & Economics, 23(3), 273-294. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470594x231219764

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 1, 2023
Online Publication Date Dec 25, 2023
Publication Date 2024-08
Deposit Date Dec 1, 2023
Publicly Available Date Jan 3, 2024
Journal Politics, Philosophy & Economics
Print ISSN 1470-594X
Electronic ISSN 1741-3060
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 23
Issue 3
Pages 273-294
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1470594x231219764
Keywords abundance, communism, G.A. Cohen, Karl Marx, self-realisation
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1965504

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