Neomarxism

[Maaja]

What means to be a neomarxist today. Who are exactly neomarxist and what's their main difference with marxists, if there is a difference?

[Marxman]

There is no difference and mustn't be any difference if they consider themselves marxists. I consider myself as a marxist and the word "neo" is unnecessary.

"Neo" would mean that the marxist movement was once established completely and it was destroyed but that is definitely not true. The real marxist programme was never actually established in its full form.

"Neo" is therefore an unnecessary prefix.

[Iepilei]

it sounds cool perhaps?

[redstar2000]

Logically, "neo-marxist" would imply someone who wanted to make a fresh start ... to re-think Marxism in the light of the experiences of the 20th century and the shape of capitalism in the 21st.

Not a task to be assumed lightly; but not an ignoble one either. Takes more brains/knowledge than I have, but I would sure be interested as hell in anyone's serious attempts to do it.

[ArgueEverything]

Basically, neo-Marxists think some of Marx's theories need revising.

The Vienna School (Adorno and co. ) can be described as neo-Marxists who tried to hybridise Marxism and Freudian psychoanalysis. Sartre was a neo-Marxist who tried to create an existential Marxism.

I think most Marxists today are neo-Marxists rather than orthodox Marxists, even if they don't consciously know it. After all, Marx's writings are over a century old, and based on the historical experience of Western Europe, so we can't expect them to be completely applicable to the whole world today.

[Ian]

Everybody is basically neomarxist unless they are some kind of Ultra-leftist that treats marxism as an orthodox religion (Shit with them everyone would be a critic, hunter or fisherman (If you don't get this you won't if I explain it to you)).
Although everyone is neomarxist to a degree, I wouldn't call myself one because it sounds synonymous with race violence, boneheads, and bullshit similar to that.
Anyhoo, I call myself a Marxist!

[suffianr]

Do we really need such delineations? Must there be so many denominations? We are kindred, are we not?

[ArgueEverything]

suffianr, the 'denominations' are needed to distinguish true Marxists from the Stalinists. Unfortunately, the average person on the street thinks communism=Stalinism/marxism=Stalinism.

[Revolution Hero]

What about Marxism-Leninism?
Modern marxism is marxism which was developed by Lenin.

[Ian]

Neomarxism I feel is just a name Tom Clancy uses

[Xvall]

Marxism has never dies; however, Bolshevism and the Soviet Union has. A more proper term would be a Neo-Soviet or a Neo-Bolshevik.

[Revolution Hero]

I don't see the necessity of adding word " neo" to whatever term.

[Iepilei]

Quote: from ArgueEverything on 8:46 am on Oct. 3, 2002
suffianr, the 'denominations' are needed to distinguish true Marxists from the Stalinists. Unfortunately, the average person on the street thinks communism=Stalinism/marxism=Stalinism.


Pretty much, even though Marx's works where written long before 'Comrade Stalin'.

[oki]

I think neomarxists are trying to distance themselves from the mistakes made by (supposive) communists in the past.and you don't have to be a marxist to be a leftist.I mean,jesus is allso a profet in the quran,but that doesn't make muslims christians....:)

[Palmares]

Neo? I think not. Who claims to be 'neo-marxist' anyway? The only thing it would achieve is for the masses to think us as similar to 'neo-nazis'. Of course there is no link, but to many, what sounds the same, is the same. This argument is somewhat hollow.

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
-Dom Helder Câmara