Post-Marxism first originated in the late 1970s, and several trends and events of that period influenced its development.[34] The weakness of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc paradigm became evident after the so called "Secret speech" and the following invasion of Hungary, which split the radical left irreparably.[35] Marxism from then on faced a crisis of credibility, resulting in various developments in Marxist theory, particularly neo-Marxism, which theorised against much of the Eastern Bloc.[36] This happened concurrently with the occurrence internationally of the strikes and occupations of 1968, the rise of Maoist theory, and the proliferation of commercial television and later information technologies which covered in its broadcasts the Vietnam War.
Post-Marxism, although with its roots in this New Left and the consequent post-structural moment in France,[37] has its real genesis in reaction to the hegemony of neoliberalism, and defeat of the Left in such events as the UK miners' strike. Ernesto Laclau argued that a Marxism for the neoliberal conjuncture required a fundamental reworking, to address the failures of both.[38]Subsequently, Laclau and Mouffe address the proliferation of "new subject positions" by locating their analysis on a non-essentialist framework.
Simultaneously, revolutionaries in Italy, known as Operaismo, and later autonomists,[39] began to theorise against the conservative Italian Communist Party,[40] focusing much more on labour, gender and the later works of Marx. In France, radicals such as Félix Guattari redefined old Lacanian models of desire and subjectivity, which had often been tied to the communist project, bringing Nietzsche into conversation with Marx.[41][42] In the Eastern Bloc, the Budapest School[43] began reinterpreting Marx, building on the work of the Praxis school before them.[44] In West Germany, theorists reinterpreted Marx's works entirely.
Turning to the Atlantic, in the UK, Stuart Hall[45] began to experiment with increasingly aggressive post-structuralist theorists in the build up to New Labour whilst working for Marxism Today, especially in relation to race and identity.[46]John Holloway began to forge a new path between Althusserian structural Marxism and Trotskyist theorists of monopoly capitalism. In the US, Michael Hardt collaborated with Antonio Negri to produce Empire at the turn of the century, widely recognised as a consolidation and re-affirmation of post-Marxism.[47]Harry Cleaver produced innovative readings of Capital.
Currently, figures in the US, UK, and Europe continue to produce work in the post-Marxist tradition, particularly Nancy Fraser, Alain Badiou, Jeremy Gilbert and Étienne Balibar. This theory is often very different from that produced by Laclau and Mouffe.[48][49]
Despite being born in Latin America and the Eastern Bloc, post-Marxism is largely produced by theorists of the Global North, as the following criticisms reveal. Aside from perhaps Spivak, there are no notable theorists of the Global South[50] who are within the post-Marxist tradition,[51] and the radical movements of the Global South largely remain within the social-democratic tradition.[52] Several reasons relating to political geography and level of academisation are given as explanations. There is some debate however as to whether Cedric Robinson was a post-Marxist.[53]
Despite this, the Zapatistas have been a large source of inspiration for many post-Marxists.[54]
Criticism
Post-Marxism has been criticised from both the left and the right wings of Marxism.[55] Nick Thoburn has criticised Laclau's post-Marxism (and its relationship to Eurocommunism) as essentially a rightward shift to social democracy.[56]Ernest Mandel[57] and Sivanandan[58][59] also make this same point. Richard Wolff also claims that Laclau's formulation of post-Marxism is a step backwards.[60] Oliver Eagleton (son of Terry Eagleton) claims that Mouffe's 'radical democracy' has an inherent conservative nature.[61]
Other Marxist's have criticised Autonomist Marxism or post-operaismo of having a theoretically weak understanding of value in capitalist economies.[62] It has also been by criticised by other Marxists for being anti-humanist / anti-Hegelian dialectics.[63]
Post-Marxism of all stripes has also been criticised for downplaying or ignoring the role of race, neocolonialism, and Eurocentrism.[64][65][66][67]
Post-Marxism as a term is also seen as being too imprecise, often used as an insult[68] or a straw man. Besides Laclau and Mouffe, very few Marxists describe themselves as Post-Marxists, regardless of their own affinities with post-structuralist theories or their reinterpretation of Marx.[69] There is also much disagreement between post-Marxists on fundamental questions of strategy and philosophy (Hegel); some forward a left-populism, others a complete rejection of organised politics, and others a new Leninist vanguard.
↑Callinicos, Alex (2022). Routledge Handbook of Marxism and Post-Marxism (1st ed.). Routledge.
↑Arditi, Benjamin (September 2007). "Post-hegemony: politics outside the usual post-Marxist paradigm". Contemporary Politics13 (3): 205–226. doi:10.1080/13569770701467411.
↑Sim, Stuart (2022). Reflections on Post-Marxism: Laclau and Mouffe's Project of Radical Democracy in the 21st Century. Policy Press. ISBN978-1-5292-2183-1.[page needed]
↑Mclean, Ian; Mcmillan, Alistair (2003) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (Article: State). Oxford University Press.
↑Mouffe, Chantal (June 1995). "Post-Marxism: Democracy and Identity" (in en). Environment and Planning D: Society and Space13 (3): 259–265. doi:10.1068/d130259.
↑Ritzer, George; Schubert, J. Daniel (1991). "The Changing Nature of Neo-Marxist Theory: A Metatheoretical Analysis". Sociological Perspectives34 (3): 359–375. doi:10.2307/1389516.
↑Peters, Michael A.; Neilson, David; Jackson, Liz (6 December 2022). "Post-marxism, humanism and (post)structuralism: Educational philosophy and theory". Educational Philosophy and Theory54 (14): 2331–2340. doi:10.1080/00131857.2020.1824783.
↑McKenna, Tony (3 April 2014). "Against Post-Marxism: How Post-Marxism Annuls Class-Based Historicism and the Possibility of Revolutionary Praxis". International Critical Thought4 (2): 142–159. doi:10.1080/21598282.2014.906538.
↑Barrow, Clyde W. (1993). Critical Theories of the State: Marxist, Neomarxist, Postmarxist. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN978-0-299-13713-7.[page needed]
↑Tunderman, Simon (2 November 2021). "Post-Marxist reflections on the value of our time. Value theory and the (in)compatibility of discourse theory and the critique of political economy". Critical Discourse Studies18 (6): 655–670. doi:10.1080/17405904.2020.1829664.
↑Therborn, Göran (2008). From Marxism to Post-Marxism. London: Verso Books. pp. 208.
↑Meyerson, Gregory; San Juan, E. Jr. (2009). "Post-Marxism as Compromise Formation". Cultural Logic: Journal of Marxist Theory & Practice16. doi:10.14288/clogic.v16i0.191554.
↑Peters, Michael A (2022). "Poststructuralism and the Post-Marxist Critique of Knowledge Capitalism: A Personal Account". Review of Contemporary Philosophy21: 21–37. doi:10.22381/RCP2120222. ProQuest2727237244.
↑Bowman, Paul (2007). Post-Marxism Versus Cultural Studies: Theory, Politics and Intervention. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN978-0-7486-1762-3.[page needed]
↑Mouffe, Chantal (June 1995). "Post-Marxism: Democracy and Identity". Environment and Planning D: Society and Space13 (3): 259–265. doi:10.1068/d130259.
↑Harrison, Oliver (2016). Revolutionary Subjectivity in Post-Marxist Thought: Laclau, Negri, Badiou. Routledge. ISBN978-1-317-06333-9.[page needed]
↑Browning, Gary K. (June 2005). "A globalist ideology of post‐Marxism? Hardt and Negri's Empire". Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy8 (2): 193–208. doi:10.1080/13698230500108876.
Badiou, Alain; Macey, D; Corcoran, S. (2015). The communist hypothesis. London: Verso.
Butler, Judith; Laclau, Ernesto; Žižek, Slavoj (2000). Contingency, Hegemony, Universality: Contemporary Dialogues on the Left.
Callinicos, A., Kouvélakis, E. and Pradella, L. (2021). Routledge handbook of Marxism and post-Marxism. New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Dean, J. (2018). Communist Horizon. Verso.
Derrida, Jacques (1993). Specters of Marx.
Fisher, M. (2009). Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? Winchester: Zero Books.
Galfarsoro, Imanol (2012). "(Post)Marxismoa, kultura eta eragiletasuna: Ibilbide historiko labur bat". in Aizpuru, Alaitz (in eu). Euskal Herriko pentsamenduaren gida. Bilbo: UEU. ISBN978-84-8438-435-9.
Hardt, Michael; Negri, Antonio (2000). Empire. Harvard.
Holloway, J. (2019). Change the world without taking power : the meaning of revolution today. London Pluto Press.
Laclau, Ernesto; Mouffe, Chantal (1985). Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics.
Sim, Stuart (2002). Post-Marxism: An Intellectual History. Routledge studies in social and political thought. New York; London: Routledge. ISBN0-203-18616-8.
Thoburn, Nick (2003). Deleuze, Marx, and Politics. Routledge
Tormey, Simon; Townshend, Jules (2006). Key Thinkers from Critical Theory to Post-Marxism. Pine Forge Press.
Žižek, Slavoj (1989). The Sublime Object of Ideology.