Neo-Marxism
Neo-Marxism is a collection of Marxist schools of thought originating from 20th-century approaches[1][2][3] to amend or extend[4] Marxism and Marxist theory, typically by incorporating elements from other intellectual traditions such as critical theory, psychoanalysis, or existentialism. Neo-Marxism comes under the broader framework of the New Left. In a sociological sense, neo-Marxism adds Max Weber's broader understanding of social inequality, such as status and power, to Marxist philosophy.
As with many uses of the prefix neo-, some theorists and groups who are designated as neo-Marxists have attempted to supplement the perceived deficiencies of orthodox Marxism or dialectical materialism.[5] Many prominent neo-Marxists, such as Herbert Marcuse[6] and other members of the Frankfurt School, have historically been sociologists and psychologists.[7][8]
Examples of neo-Marxism include analytical Marxism, French structural Marxism, critical theory, cultural studies, as well as some forms of feminism. Erik Olin Wright's[9] theory of contradictory class locations is an example of the syncretism found in neo-Marxist thought, as it incorporates Weberian sociology, and critical criminology.[10]
There is some ambiguity surrounding the difference between neo-Marxism and post-Marxism,[11][12] with many thinkers being considered both.[13][14] Prominent neo-Marxist journals include Spectre,[15] Historical Materialism,[16] New Left Review, Rethinking Marxism,[17] Capital & Class,[18] Salvage,[19] Cultural Logic[20] and the Seminar in Contemporary Marxism.[21]
History[edit]
Neo-Marxism developed as a result of social and political problems that traditional Marxist theory was unable to sufficiently address.[22]
Following World War I, some neo-Marxists dissented and later formed the Frankfurt School. The Frankfurt School never identified themselves as neo-Marxists. Toward the end of the 20th century, neo-Marxism and other Marxist theories became anathema in democratic and capitalistic Western cultures, where the term attained negative connotations during the Red Scare. For this reason, social theorists of the same ideology since that time have tended to disassociate themselves from the term neo-Marxism.[23]
Neo-Marxist feminism[edit]
Some portions of Marxist feminism have used the neo-Marxist label.[68][69] This school of thought believes that the means of knowledge, culture, and pedagogy are part of a privileged epistemology. Neo-Marxist feminism relies heavily on critical theory and seeks to apply those theories in psychotherapy as the means of political and cultural change. Teresa McDowell and Rhea Almeida use these theories in a therapy method called "liberation based healing", which, like many other forms of Marxism, uses sample bias in the many interrelated liberties in order to magnify the "critical consciousness" of the participants towards unrest of the status quo.[69][70][71][68]