Conclusion
In this paper, I have assessed Marx's criticism of capitalism, and the practice of divided labor, from the standpoint of two important senses of worth which persons can have, namely self-respect and self-esteem. I have tried to show that in either case, Communism, as Marx envisioned it, is not the superior to capitalism he might have supposed. Along the way, I hope to have also shown the importance of distinguishing between two concepts, namely self-respect and self-esteem.
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This paper has benefited from the criticisms of several individuals: Elizabeth Rapaport, who commented upon the version which was read at the Western Meetings of the American Philosophical Association in 1977; Allen Buchanan, who sent me a number of comments, as well as a quite helpful paper of his entitled ‘Exploitation, Alienation, and Injustice’; and a referee forStudies in Soviet Thought. My concern to meet their criticisms have made this paper immeasurably better.
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Thomas, L. Capitalism versus Marx's Communism. Studies in Soviet Thought 20, 67–79 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00832152
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00832152