Marxism, Morality, and Social Justice

Rodney G. Peffer

Published by Princeton University Press 1990

Marxism, Morality, and Social Justice

Rodney G. Peffer

Volume 57 in the series Studies in Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy

In the series Princeton Legacy Library

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400860890

Overview
Contents

About this book

The interpreter of Marx's writings faces the task of reconciling, on the one hand, Marx's frequent explicit condemnations and criticisms of morality and, on the other, the obvious way in which his world-view reflects substantive moral judgments. In this book R. G. Peffer tackles the challenges of finding in Marx's work an implicit moral theory, of answering claims that Marxism is incompatible with morality, and of developing the outlines of an adequate Marxist moral and social theory. Peffer analyzes the moral components of Marx's thought and considers all the major interpretations of his moral perspective; he concludes that Marx is a mixed deontologist who is most committed to a maximum system of equal freedoms, both positive and negative. He then utilizes contemporary metaethical theory to show that Marxism is compatible with morality in general and with the concepts of justice and rights in particular. Peffer proposes a radically egalitarian theory of social justice (which subsumes Marx's own moral theory) and a minimal set of Marxist empirical theses, which together entail the Marxist's basic normative political positions. This book demonstrates that contemporary analytic political philosophy is invaluable for coming to terms with Marxism and that it is only Marx's less abstract empirical theories about classes and class struggle, the dysfunctions of capitalism, and the possibility of creating democratic, self-managing postcapitalist societies that are needed for the development of an adequate Marxist moral and social theory.

Originally published in 1990.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiii
INTRODUCTION Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I: Marx’s Moral Perspective
ONE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARX’S MORAL PERSPECTIVE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	35
TWO. CONSEQUENTIALIST INTERPRETATIONS OF MARX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	80
THREE MARX’S THEORIES OF FREEDOM AND EXPLOITATION: A RECONSTRUCTION AND DEFENSE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	115
PART II. MARXISM AND MORALITY
FOUR “MARXIST ΑΝΤΙ-MORALISΜ”: A CRITIQUE Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
FIVE. MARXISM AND MORAL HISTORICISM Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	212
SIX. MORALITY AND IDEOLOGY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	236
SEVEN. MARXISM, MORAL RELATIVISM, AND MORAL OBJECTIVITY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	268
PART III. MARXISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
EIGHT. MARXIST CRITIQUES OF JUSTICE AND RIGHTS Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	317
NINE. MARXIST AND LEFTIST OBJECTIONS TO RAWLS' THEORY OF JUSTICE: A CRITICAL REVIEW Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	361
TEN. TOWARD AN ADEQUATE MARXIST MORAL AND SOCIAL THEORY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	416
APPENDIX. STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARX’S THOUGHT Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	461
BIBLIOGRAPHY Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	465
INDEX Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	507

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