Marxism, Ideology and Objectivity.

[Oswy]

How does the Marxist escape from the accusation that his explanation of ideologies - as distortions and misrepresentations of actual realities - is also applicable to Marxism, given that all ways of understanding the world, including Marxism, are materially and socially situated?

[mykittyhasaboner]

Your going to have to be way more specific.

[AvanteRedGarde]

Marxism was always premised as being an ideology of the oppressed, which utilizes social science to most effectively advance the cause of the oppressed.

In order for Marxism to be effective, it must have a degree of objectivity.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Oswy:


How does the Marxist escape from the accusation that his explanation of ideologies - as distortions and misrepresentations of actual realities - is also applicable to Marxism, given that all ways of understanding the world, including Marxism, are materially and socially situated?

It doesn't if it bases itself on the ideology and thought-froms of ruling-class hacks (aka 'philsophers', etc.):


The philosophers have only to dissolve their language into the ordinary language, from which it is abstracted, in order to recognise it, as the distorted language of the actual world, and to realise that neither thoughts nor language in themselves form a realm of their own, that they are only manifestations of actual life. [Marx and Engels (1970), p.118. Bold emphases added.]

On the other hand, if Marxism bases itself on historical materialism and ordinary language, it cannot be a distortion.

I know this is no help at the moment, but I will be publishing an essay on this in the next year or so.