Value criticism () is a social theory which draws its foundation from the Marxian tradition and criticizes the contemporary
mode of production
In the Marxist theory of historical materialism, a mode of production (German: ''Produktionsweise'', "the way of producing") is a specific combination of the:
* Productive forces: these include human labour power and means of production (tools, ...
. Value criticism was developed partly by critical readings of the traditions of the
Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt School is a school of thought in sociology and critical theory. It is associated with the University of Frankfurt Institute for Social Research, Institute for Social Research founded in 1923 at the University of Frankfurt am Main ...
and
critical theory
Critical theory is a social, historical, and political school of thought and philosophical perspective which centers on analyzing and challenging systemic power relations in society, arguing that knowledge, truth, and social structures are ...
. Prominent adherents of value criticism include
Robert Kurz,
Moishe Postone
Moishe Postone (17 April 1942 – 19 March 2018) was a Canadian historian, sociologist, political philosopher and social theorist. He was a professor of history at the University of Chicago, where he was part of the Committee on Jewish Studi ...
and .
Aspects of value criticism
Value criticism takes crucial aspects of Marx's critiques of
commodity fetishism
In Marxist philosophy, commodity fetishism is the perception of the economic relationships of production and exchange as relationships among things (money and merchandise) rather than among people. As a form of Reification (Marxism), reificati ...
, commodities and value, while criticizing Marx's theory of
class struggle
In political science, the term class conflict, class struggle, or class war refers to the economic antagonism and political tension that exist among social classes because of clashing interests, competition for limited resources, and inequali ...
and
historical materialism
Historical materialism is Karl Marx's theory of history. Marx located historical change in the rise of Class society, class societies and the way humans labor together to make their livelihoods.
Karl Marx stated that Productive forces, techno ...
. As a result, proponents of Value Criticism feel that the working class is not necessarily a revolutionary subject. Instead, it is pointed out that labor has to be understood as a historic specific entity and that criticizing capitalism implies not only criticizing the distribution process in capitalism, but also the capitalistic production process and the productive powers. From this, they conclude that all
actually existing "socialisms" thus far have been in essence forms of
state-led capitalism (''nachholenden Modernisierung''), where production still followed capitalistic principles. This interpretation, which rejects the traditional Marxist–Leninist point of view, is defended in the early text from 1999: ''
Manifesto Against Labour''.
Feminist turn of the theory
In addition to value criticism, a new branch appeared by the widow of Robert Kurz,
Roswitha Scholz. The so-called critique of value-dissociation (in German called "Wertabspaltungskritik") includes not only precise descriptions of the "abstract and fetishized character of modern domination",
but also seeks to explain why irrational attitudes are delegated to women, while men are counted as relatively rational actors in the capitalistic society.
Publications
Publishers of value criticism in Germany are the ''
Krisis'' group and
Exit!, to both of which Robert Kurz made crucial contributions. Much value critical literature has still to be translated into English. Elmar Flatschart from the University of Vienna is also publishing in English for the Exit! group. Moishe Postone and his work "
Time, Labor and Social Domination" is often cited by value critics.
See also
*
Critique of political economy
Critique of political economy or simply the first critique of economy is a form of social critique that rejects the conventional ways of distributing resources. The critique also rejects what its advocates believe are unrealistic axioms, flawe ...
*
An Essay on Marxian Economics (1962)
References
Further reading
* Robert Kurz: ''Der Kollaps der Modernisierung'', Reclam, Leipzig 1994, ISBN 3-379-01503-2
*
Ernst Lohoff: ''Der Dritte Weg in den Bürgerkrieg: Jugoslawien und das Ende der nachholenden Modernisierung.'' Horlemann-Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-89502-055-9.
* .
*
Robert Kurz: ''Schwarzbuch Kapitalismus. Ein Abgesang auf die Marktwirtschaft.'' Ullstein, 1999, ISBN 3-548-36308-3.
*
Roswitha Scholz: ''Das Geschlecht des Kapitalismus. Feministische Theorien und die postmoderne Metamorphose des Patriarchats.'' Horlemann-Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-89502-100-8.
*
Dieter Wolf: ''Der dialektische Widerspruch im Kapital.'' Hamburg 2002, ISBN 3-87975-889-1
dieterwolf.netPDF; 478 kB, Ein Beitrag zur Marxschen Werttheorie).
*
Moishe Postone
Moishe Postone (17 April 1942 – 19 March 2018) was a Canadian historian, sociologist, political philosopher and social theorist. He was a professor of history at the University of Chicago, where he was part of the Committee on Jewish Studi ...
: ''Zeit, Arbeit und gesellschaftliche Herrschaft.'' Ca Ira, Freiburg i.Br. 2003, ISBN 3-924627-58-4.
* Holger Schatz: ''Arbeit als Herrschaft. Die Krise des Leistungsprinzips und seine neoliberale Rekonstruktion.'' Unrast-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-89771-429-9.
* Ernst Lohoff, Norbert Trenkle, Karl-Heinz Lewed, Maria Wölflingseder: ''Dead Men Working'', Unrast, 2004, ISBN 3-89771-427-2.
* Roswitha Scholz: ''Differenzen der Krise – Krise der Differenzen. Die neue Gesellschaftskritik im globalen Zeitalter und der Zusammenhang von 'Rasse', Klasse, Geschlecht und postmoderner Individualisierung.'' Horlemann-Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-89502-195-4.
* Robert Kurz: ''Das Weltkapital'', Tiamat, 2005, ISBN 3-89320-085-1.
*
Anselm Jappe: ''Die Abenteuer der Ware. Für eine neue Wertkritik.'' Unrast-Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-89771-433-7.
*
Ingo Elbe, Tobias Reichardt, Dieter Wolf: Gesellschaftliche Praxis und ihre wissenschaftliche Darstellung. Beiträge zur Kapital-Diskussion Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen. Heft 6. Argument Verlag, Hamburg 2008, ISBN 978-3-88619-655-5.
* Robert Kurz: ''Geld ohne Wert. Grundrisse zu einer Transformation der Kritik der politischen Ökonomie.'' Horlemann Verlag, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-89502-343-9.
*
Tomasz Konicz: ''Kapitalkollaps. Die finale Krise der Weltwirtschaft.'' Hamburg 2016.
* {{citation, author=Ernst Schmitter, title=Sackgasse Wirtschaft – Einführung in die Wertkritik , publisher=edition 8, publication-place=Zürich, isbn=978-3-85990-363-0, date=2019, language=German.
Critique
* Jürgen Albohn
''Theorie ohne revolutionäre Praxis ist Opium fürs Volk - Eine Kritik der Wertkritik'' Grundrisse Heft 16. auch ausführlicher: http://www.materialien.org/texte/papers/albohn-wertkritik.pdf
* Jürgen Behre, Nadja Rakowitz (2001)
*
Alexander Gallas (2003)
''Marx als Monist? Versuch einer Kritik der Wertkritik''.(PDF; 740 kB)
* Ingo Elbe (2007), ''Marxismus-Mystizismus – oder: die Verwandlung der Marxschen Theorie in deutsche Ideologie''. Prodomo Heft 5, S. 11–18.
*
Gerhard Hanloser, Karl Reitter (2008), ''Der bewegte Marx. Eine einführende Kritik des Zirkulationsmarxismus''. Unrast Verlag, ISBN 978-3-89771-486-1.
* Karl Reitter (2006),
Das Kapital wieder lesen. Eine alternative zur wertkritischen Interpretation'. Grundrisse Heft 17, S. 13–27.
*
Dieter Wolf:
Elmar Flatscharts „wertkritische“ Auseinandersetzung mit Ingo Elbes Kapitalinterpretation' (PDF; 400 kB)
*
GegenStandpunkt:
R. Kurz: „Schwarzbuch Kapitalismus – ein Abgesang auf die Marktwirtschaft“ – Die Intellektuellenfibel für den Abgesang auf Kapitalismuskritik'. GegenStandpunkt 3-2000
*
GegenStandpunkt:
Was sich mit Marx doch alles anstellen läßt!'. GegenStandpunkt 4-1996
*
GegenStandpunkt:
Der Untergang des Abendlands – linksherum'. GegenStandpunkt 2-1992
External links
StreifzügeWertkritischer Verein und Magazin aus Österreich
Wertkritik und KrisentheorieWertkritische Gruppe aus Österreich
Was ist Wertkritik?Interview mit Ernst Lohoff und Robert Kurz
* Michael Sommer/Dieter Wolf
''Das Kapital als automatisches Subjekt und die Einheit von Darstellung und Kritik''(PDF; 250 kB)
*
Dieter WolfZum Übergang vom Geld ins Kapital in den Grundrissen, im Urtext und im ''Kapital''(PDF; 391 kB)
* Josef S. Falkinger
''Herrn Robert Kurzens Umwälzung des Marxismus – Kritik der wert-kritischen Kritik''www.derfunke.at (PDF 205 kB)
Critical theory
Criticism
Frankfurt School
Marxism
Social concepts
Theory of value (economics)