One of these is "officialism,": "or its adoption, beginning in 1917, by a variety of underdeveloped countries as the official doctrine of the regime, with a subsequent shift in Marxism's meaning from an analysis and criticism of capitalism to a rationalization and organizing ideology for a 'socialist' state." My question is, since the left today, and those more profoundly influenced by Marx, lack organization (or, as Carrol prefers to put it, the left simply does not exist), does Marx's value lie only or mostly in his analysis and critique of capitalism, rather than any ideological agenda he proposed as a means of actively reaching "socialism"? What Marx would I want to check out on this latter score?
Also: "a 'good times Marxism' denuded of its working class, in which Marx's ideas have been married to a variety of mismatched suitors from the bourgeois academy to produce as many hyphenated offspring." What can be gleaned from the theoretical excesses of marxism in the academy (lit studies and cultural studies)? I found out the other night that Marjorie Perloff lives next door to Whoppi Goldberg. Innovation and its theoretical discontents indeed. Is Marxism still an important player in university lit programs, or other non-philosophy or poli-sci fields?
Alec
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