Summary
Summary Leopold - Marx & Engels on Utopian Socialism
- Module
- Marx and Marxism
- Institution
- Oxford University (OX)
David Leopold on Marx & Engels' account of utopian socialism
[Show more]
Content preview
David Leopold - The Structure of Marx and Engels’ Considered Account of Utopian Socialism● Marx and Engels were not solely critical of utopian socialism, as they have often been
interpreted
● If we interpret utopian socialism as a socialism which includes a detailed portrayal of a
future (good) society, then we retain
○ consistency with common usage - a good society which does not yet
exist
○ a distinction between Saint-Simon/Fourier/Owen and Marx/Engels
○ consistency with Marx/Engels’ understanding of utopianism
● In fact Marx/Engels make two distinctions in their accounts of utopian socialism, a
chronological distinction and a textual distinction
○ chronological distinction - Marx/Engels are generous towards the early
utopian socialists - Saint-Simon, Fourier and Owen, and not so to the later ones, their
disciples
■ the early triumvirate wrote in the genesis of bourgeois
society, and thus could be forgiven for having primitive theories - they were not
to blame for their historical contexts
■ the later utopian disciples did write in more developed
bourgeois society, and hence were choosing alchemy over chemistry even when
chemistry had been proven
■ what mistakes are made by the utopians?
● they reject political engagement, strikes
etc on the part of the proletariat. reject class struggle
● passive view of the proletariat, as the
most suffering class in society
● belief in the efficacy of small scale
experiments in which history is put on hold until some dramatic
development occurs
■ scientific socialism should recognise its genesis in
utopian socialism, and be fair in its criticism (i.e. recognise historical context)
○ textual distinction - distinction between the critical (i.e. critique) and
systematic (i.e. positive) aspects of theory
■ Marx/Engels love the critique, don’t like the proposal of
systems
■ why don’t they like the proposal of new systems?
● Plans are impossible because we cannot
tell what the future action plan will need to be
● Plans are unnecessary because socialists
will only come to power when the means of operating are to hand
○ this assumes that
optimal solutions are guaranteed by history
○ it means the task of
socialists is to facilitate the birth of the being already produced
by historical development
● Problems with suggestion that plans are unnecessary
○ historical materialism doesn’t entail that appropriate solutions are
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller patrickfleming. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67474 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now