The Continued Relevance of Marxism Today
The Continued Relevance of Marxism Today
Monday, 7 July 2025: 13:00-14:45
Location: SJES030 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
RC02 Economy and Society (host committee) Language: English
For decades, and certainly since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Marxism is viewed as an arcane and dated set of theories which offered a model of the workings of a capitalist society, a method of analysis and critique, and a program for social transformation. At the same time, as the latter part of the 20th Century and the first decades of the 21stCentury experienced a series of crises and systemic shocks, scholars have looked to some form of a Marxian analysis to find an explanation for what is happening. The importance of Marxism typically and understandably focuses on its historic role in analyzing political, social, and economic life. How, however, can a Marxist analysis carry forward to understanding the current challenges of environmental degradation, climate change, international migration, and the technical changes transforming work. This panel seeks to bring together scholars who can assess the impact and importance of Marxism in the intellectual realm, and detail how theory is central to its very existence. We seek papers that demonstrate the intellectual power of Marxist thought, especially in relation to the serious problems facing humanity which their research addresses. This panel will offer a chance for interdisciplinary engagement with the goal of strengthening Marxist thought. We invite participants to compare Marxist and non-Marxist approaches to a wide range of issues, and to articulate how a Marxist approach can produce a unique, important, and essential analysis of the contemporary political economy.
Session Organizer:
Co-chairs:
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Oral Presentations
Distributed Papers