What's Left of Philosophy
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89 | G.A. Cohen's Analytical Red Sublime
🕑 Added 2024-05-14 20:01:49 +0000 UTCIn this episode, we discuss essays from throughout G.A. Cohen’s philosophical career. Cohen is known as one of the founders of Analytical Marxism, so we talk about what this tradition in Marxist thinking is about and how it handles the problems of political let-down and disillusionment that affect us all. We also get into his polemics against the libertarians and John Rawls in his essays on exploitation, freedom, and justice.
leftofphilosophy.com | @leftofphil
References:
G.A. Cohen, Karl Marx’s Theory of History: A Defence (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989).
G.A. Cohen, “The Labor Theory of Value and the Concept of Exploitation,” Philosophy & Public Affairs 8(4)(1979): 338-360.
G.A. Cohen, “The Structure of Proletarian Unfreedom,” Philosophy & Public Affairs 12(1)(1983): 3-33.
G.A. Cohen, Rescuing Justice and Equality (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008).
Nicholas Vrousalis, The Political Philosophy of G.A. Cohen (London: Bloomsbury, 2015).
Music:
“Vintage Memories” by Schematist | schematist.bandcamp.com
“My Space” by Overu | https://get.slip.stream/KqmvAN
Comments
Cold Material Handler
I think that one reason that people are quick to defend LOV is because the ascension of Marginalism in economics is used by Social Dem types, and to a lesser extent Left libertarians, as a cheap “Gotcha” to condescend Marxists in Big Tent organizations like the DSA. At least that has been my experience.
Jack Arens
The very first episode is on Althusser if you haven’t listened. Though, critiquing Althusser through the lens of Cohen is probably what you’re looking for, and their episode is Althusser on his own.
Ghost Runner
I'm not a professional philosopher, but how does replacing historical materialism or a revised version of the LTV with a particular brand of moralism help Marxism? It would seem to hollow it out. I'm also unclear why Cohen’s ability to explicate Hegel might demonstrate the dialectical method as unnecessary.
cole cecchetto
This is a pretty great episode. Cohen gets dumped on by people who don’t read him way too often, imo. Would have loved to hear the pod work through “Bullshit Marxism” and what the problem with Althusserian Marxism exactly is and why agreeing or disagreeing might matter. But I loved this appreciation, too. Cohen was a genuine academic and a genuine Marxist.
