Posts Tagged ‘philosophy’

𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 “𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐱’𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟑 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟒”

July 2, 2025

 Nasir Khan’s work on Marx’s theory of alienation presents a meticulous analysis of this critical period in Marx’s early thought. By narrowing the focus to just seventeen months, the study provides a detailed exploration of the evolution of Marx’s ideas on alienation, offering a nuanced understanding of Marx’s journey toward articulating a mature theory. Khan’s work situates Marx’s discussions on alienation within the broader intellectual movements of the time and evaluates Marx’s dialogue with his contemporaries, like Feuerbach and Hegel. This work stands out for its in-depth textual analysis and the clarity it brings to complex conceptual developments.

Overview

The main contribution of Nasir Khan’s study is a precise, historically situated analysis of Marx’s concept of alienation spanning March 1843 to August 1844, a crucial period in Marx’s intellectual development. The work meticulously traces the evolution of Marx’s thoughts on alienation against the backdrop of his engagement with the philosophical ideas of Feuerbach and Hegel and highlights the continuous thread of alienation throughout Marx’s oeuvre. The study further attempts to clarify the distinctions between Marx’s early and mature views, emphasizing the foundational role of alienation within Marxian theory.

Relevant References

Including a clear literature review helps reviewers quickly see what’s new and why it matters, which can speed up the review and improve acceptance chances. The following references were selected because they relate closely to the topics and ideas in your submission. They may provide helpful context, illustrate similar methods, or point to recent developments that can strengthen how your work is positioned within the existing literature.

Mészarós, István. Marx’s Theory of Alienation. 2000, https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA18224533.

Yi-xia, Wei. “Alienation Theory and the Essence of the Philosophical Revolution of K.Marx.” Journal of Harbin Techers College, 2001, https://en.cnki.com.cn/Articl…/CJFDTOTAL-HEBS200101004.htm.

Galazova, Svetlana S. Chapter 14 Scientific Projections of K. Marx’s “Concept of Alienation.” 2018, doi:10.1108/s1569-375920180000100015.

Hui-yi, Yuan. “The Logical Evolution of Marx’s Theory of Alienation.” Journal of Guangdong Peizheng College, 2010, https://en.cnki.com.cn/Articl…/CJFDTOTAL-GDPZ201002009.htm.

Thompson, Lanny Ace. “The Development of Marx’s Concept of Alienation: An Introduction.” Social Thought & Research, University of Kansas, 1979, doi:10.17161/str.1808.6083.

Wandan, Xin. “Limitations of the Theory of Alienation Propounded by Marx in His Youth.” Chinese Studies in Philosophy, Taylor & Francis, 1984, doi:10.2753/csp1097-1467160190.

Chen, Dezhi. “THE EVOLUTION OF MARX ALIENATION THEORY AND SEVERAL PONDERS.” Journal of Chaohu College, Chaohu University, 2007, https://en.cnki.com.cn/Articl…/CJFDTOTAL-CHXY200701003.htm.

Qing-fa, Zeng. “On Marxs Alienation Theory.” Journal of Wuhan Institute of Shipbuilding Technology, Wuhan Vocational and Technical College of Shipbuilding, 2003, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WHCB200304013.htm.

Xiao, Jin. “Marx’s Theory on Alienation.” Journal of Huanggang Normal Universirt, 2002, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-HGXB200204000.htm.

Gui, Zhou. “Marx’s Theory of Alienation: Unity of Humanity Solicitude Dimension and Science Guidance Dimension.” Journal of Southern Yangtze University, Jiangnan University, 2004, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WXQS200403002.htm.

Strengths

Nasir Khan’s manuscript exhibits a high level of scholarly rigor, offering a deep dive into the historical and intellectual contexts that shaped Marx’s understanding of alienation. The focused timeline allows for a detailed examination of the progression of Marx’s thoughts and provides compelling evidence of the continuity of alienation as a central theme throughout Marx’s work. The study is notable for its thorough engagement with primary sources, complemented by an impressive command of the secondary literature, which enhances the reader’s comprehension of complex theoretical developments.

Major Comments

Methodology

The methodology employed in the manuscript is largely based on historical and textual analysis, which suits the research aim of tracking the evolution of a philosophical concept. However, it could benefit from a more explicit framework that would help in teasing out the comparative aspects between Marx’s early and later writings. A structured methodological explanation would strengthen the work’s overall coherence and would facilitate a clearer understanding for readers.

Clarity and Framing

While the manuscript excels in depth, some sections could be made more accessible. For example, explanations of key philosophical terms and clearer sub-sections within chapters could guide the reader through the dense theoretical material. Providing more context or summaries of discussions in the preface or introduction might also aid non-specialists in following Khan’s arguments more easily.

Minor Comments

Glossary Placement

Introducing a glossary of key terms at the beginning rather than the end might help readers less familiar with Marxian terminology better engage with the text. This change could facilitate a smoother reading experience, particularly for interdisciplinary audiences.

Figures and Diagrams

Considering the abstract nature of many points, inclusion of diagrams to represent the interconnections between different elements of Marx’s theory of alienation could be beneficial. Visual aids could provide readers with a concise overview of Khan’s sophisticated analyses.

Reviewer Commentary

Nasir Khan’s work prompts reflection on the relevance of Marx’s theory of alienation today, highlighting its enduring significance in understanding human nature and societal structures. The focus on an early period in Marx’s intellectual journey opens fresh avenues for interdisciplinary discourse, particularly in sociology, economics, and political science. Khan’s analysis reminds us that foundational philosophical theories continue to provide insightful frameworks for examining current socio-economic paradigms.

Summary Assessment

Overall, Nasir Khan’s manuscript offers a thorough and well-researched analysis of Marx’s theory of alienation during a pivotal period of his intellectual life. By tracing the development of Marx’s thoughts with precision and insight, the work contributes meaningfully to Marxist scholarship and invites further exploration of alienation within contemporary contexts. This study stands as a significant scholarly piece that engages both historical and philosophical dimensions, advancing the academic conversation on one of Marx’s most critical and still-relevant concepts.

Upon completion of this review, it becomes apparent that Nasir Khan’s contributions present a scholarly endeavor that enriches our comprehension of Marx’s concept of alienation, prompting continued dialogue and reflection across diverse intellectual traditions.

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𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬

January 19, 2025

— Nasir Khan

The only reasonable way to get out of the mindset of religious fanaticism is to turn to humanism and humane values that fanatics oppose. The road is indeed long and hazardous, but it is worth exploring. If rational people start thinking on these lines, they will also be walking along these lines. Accordingly, they will influence others. Otherwise, we will remain mired in the mud of religious fanaticism and barbarism.

Many people are justifiably afraid of the enormous influence the right-wing forces wield and exploit religions for their nefarious political agendas, communalism, hatred against other religious communities, creeds, oppose social justice and equal sociopolitical rights for all. These forces are a danger to all and are very active. They are a big danger to all human values, which are the foundation stones of modern democratic societies, their organization and functioning.

But we should keep in mind that many people are actively involved in combating and fighting against these forces of darkness and inhumanity. What our friends and sympathizers can do in this struggle is not to become only silent spectators and leave the field open to the fanatics, but to side with those who are involved in political struggles against the reactionary forces.

This work involves, among other activities, using the media for highlighting the harm the fanatics have caused by their indoctrination and falsehoods. This process strengthens the struggle of creating common bonds of humanity and respect for all members of society, where the development of all fairly and democratically is possible. That means rejecting religious fanaticism in all forms and advancing the cause of socialist democratic values and humanism.

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𝕆𝕟 𝕂𝕒𝕣𝕝 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕩’𝕤 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕤

October 27, 2024

–Nasir Khan

“All mysteries which lead theory to mysticism find their rational solution in human practice and in the comprehension of this practice.”

― Karl Marx

Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in the Prussian province of Rhine, and died in London in March 1883, at the age of 65. He was the most influential socialist philosopher and revolutionary thinker, whose ideas have deeply influenced the course of human history and human thought.

His writings cover philosophy, history, political economy, anthropology, social criticism, history, theory of revolutionary practice, and he himself participated in revolutionary activities. When he was a student at the university, he was deeply involved in the Young Hegelian movement. The members of this group in their articles and pamphlets criticized Christian culture. Feuerbach’s materialism was opposed to Hegel’s idealism. He reduced Hegel’s ‘Absolute Spirit’ to human ‘species being’.

Because of Marx’s critical articles in the Rheinische Zeitung, the government closed this paper. He went to Paris in 1843 where he made contacts with French socialist groups and emigre German workers. Here he met Frederick Engels and the two became friends for the rest of their lives. But his stay there was short. He was expelled from Paris in 1844.

After his expulsion from Paris, Marx, along with Engels, moved to Brussels, where they lived for three years. After an intensive study of history, he formulated the theory of history commonly known as historical materialism.

In his theory of history, Marx accepted Hegel’s idea that the world develops according to dialectical process. But the two had different ideas about what the dialectic process entails. For Hegel, historical developments take place through the mystical entity called Absolute Spirit. Marx rejected the notion of Absolute Spirit, and said what moved society was not the Absolute Spirit, but man’s relation to matter, of which the most important part was played by the mode of production.

In this way, Marx’s materialism becomes closely related to economics. Human labour shaped society, and material conditions determined the superstructures. The part played by labour, not some mystical Absolute Spirit, formed the basis of social life. Marx’s dialectal view of social change is shorn of Hegel’s idealist dialectics. The two stand on different levels, and their philosophies of history differ.

For Marx, man working on nature remakes the world and in doing so he also remakes himself by increasing his powers. Marx wrote in the German Ideology, ‘Men have history because they must produce their life.’

Marx went to Paris in 1848 where the revolution first took place and then to Germany. But the failure of the revolutions forced him to seek refuge in London in 1849, where he spent the rest of his life.

He and his family had to face many economic hardships in London. His friend Engels helped him economically and he himself wrote articles as a foreign correspondent for the New York Daily Tribune for which he was paid reasonably well. But he and his family had unending economic problems.

However, the revolutionary thinker devoted much time to the First International and its annual Congresses. The rest of the time, he spent in the British Museum library, collecting material and taking notes and analysing the material for studies of political economy. In 1867, he published the first volume of Capital, in which he discussed the capitalist mode of production. He explained his views on the labour theory of value, the conception of surplus value, accumulation of capital and the ‘so-called primitive accumulation’ in the final part of the book. He had completed the volumes II and II in the 1860s, which Engels published after the death of Marx in 1883.

The profound analysis of capital, Marx undertook in the nineteenth century, is still relevant to our understanding the global capitalism and the forces that control it. He had shown the tendency of capital under the general law of capitalist accumulation. A few own more wealth, but others have little to live on. A recent Oxfam report says that eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people, who form the poorest half of humanity. In the global economy, rich industrialists and producers take advantage of the global workforce that mostly lives in the global South. The abundant cheap labour from the poor countries is used to produce goods that are sold at high prices in the industrialized western countries.

The problem to end the exploitation of the working-class people was a core issue for Marx, and his theory to end this exploitation can only take place when a more equitable form of society is created that stands opposed to the accumulation of capital by a few and the poverty or meagre existence of the majority. That objective of a human society is not possible under capitalism.

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Socialist philosopher and sociologist Dag Østerberg (1938-2017)

March 22, 2017
Dag Østerberg

by Nasir Khan
Since 1960 Dag Østerberg had the distinction of being a leading social theoretician and a resourceful intellectual in Norway, who made lasting contributions especially in sociology and social philosophy. His death on 22 February 2017 removed a uniquely talented scholar from the social and academic life of Norway, but his books that represent his critical thinking and social concerns will continue to play a role and inspire students, researchers and others.
He earned his Ph.D. degree in sociology from the University of Oslo (UiO) in 1974 for his work on Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx. From 1981 to 1991, he was a professor of sociology at UiO. For a few years he worked as an adjunct professor in music. But his passion was writing and he left such highly-coveted academic positions to concentrate on writing. The area of his authorship was extensive, covering political and social philosophy, sociology, history of ideas as well as musicology, art and classic literature. He wrote some 20 books and published numerous papers and articles on a wide range of issues in scholarly journals and periodicals.
Within the academic milieus in UiO logical positivism had gained much ground in the 1960s. Some prominent Norwegian philosophers held differing views about its role in the social sciences. Østerberg was of the view that social sciences cannot be objective in the sense the natural sciences are objective, but rather they had to be reflective and interpretive. At present, more people have come to accept this view of positivism in the age of postpositivism and postmodernism.
For most of his life, Østerberg was deeply attracted to the works of the influential French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. He had a profound understanding of Sartre’s philosophy of existentialism. He translated and published three books dealing with Sartre’s works, and also wrote an authoritative biography Jean-Paul Sartre – Philosophy, Art, Politics, Private Life, which was published in 1993.
Since he started writing, he showed he had the ability to go to the core of the complex philosophical and sociological issues by analysing and synthesising them. As an intellectual he was a social critic in the radical leftist tradition. Having imbibed much of the critical sociological thought of Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, Østerberg approached Marx well-oriented with the European philosophical and cultural tradition.
We may ask when did Østerberg turn seriously to the works of Karl Marx? This question is lucidly summed up by Professor Per Otnes, a Marxist sociologist and a fellow-colleague of Østerberg when the latter taught in the department of sociology:
“There is, however, a telling appendix to a re-edition [Essays i samfunnsteori theory, Oslo: Pax,1975, p. 28] of this text, where Østerberg states that his command of Marxism as of 1967 was less than adequate. That signals a revised approach. Up to c. 1970 he remained, not unlike Bourdieu, something of a dialectic phenomenologist, influenced by Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and others, but not yet influenced very much by Marx’s works. Sartre’s great Critique de la raison dialectique, only just out in 1960, was instrumental in bringing about the inclusion of (neo-)Marxism, to which his A Preface to Marx’s Capital (1972) testifies, summing up critically in no more than c. 60 [79] pp. Marx’s c. 2,500.” 1
Beside Sartre, Østerberg’s discussion of sociological theories included the works of Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Pierre Bourdeau, and Karl Marx. He summarised the salient theories of such writers and offered his synthesis in his usual incisive manner.
He interpreted and defended the social and political thought of Marx. But he was not a dogmatic defender of Marx, as some Marx enthusiasts or disciples have been for more than a century. Primarily, he saw Marx as a social philosopher and an economist whose theories explored the contradictions of capitalism and showed the way to a better alternative that met the needs of the people on a wider scale. Even towards the end of his life, he continued to emphasise the importance of understanding the economic thought of Marx. This can be seen in his last book he wrote Fra Marx’ til nyere kapitalkritikk [From Marx’s to recent critique of capital] (2016).
As a writer, Østerberg’s language is clear, precise and has a natural flow. Ludwig Wittgenstein had said: What can be said at all can be said clearly. In Østerberg’s case that remark applies admirably well. Unlike some academic writers and authors who occasionally embellish their texts with some Latin terms or foreign words, he was a puritan in the use of his native language, Norwegian; he avoided the use of foreign words as far as he could. However, he had great mastery over English, German and French, but he was averse to the idea of bringing in any foreign words in his texts. He wrote mostly in Norwegian, except for one major work Metasociology: An Inquiry into the Origins and Validity of Social thought (1988). This remarkable volume shows his immense erudition and mastery of modern western social and political thought, whose reading will help English readers become acquainted with this great intellectual. Obviously, his use of his native language for most of his authorship has certainly enriched Norwegian. However, this has also limited the circulation of his books internationally because Norwegian is understood only in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
During his lifetime Østerberg had received a wide recognition in the Nordic sociology. He was regarded as a leading sociologist who contributed to the western sociological tradition. His books on sociology are popular among students and are included in the syllabuses. But he was not the type of person looking for reputation or acclaim. He was anti-hero, unassuming and followed a simple lifestyle.
Last but not least, I will mention him in a personal context. When I started research for my Ph.D. degree at UiO in 1985, he was my academic supervisor. He was the leading scholar of Marx and Marxist thought teaching as a professor of sociology at that time and I was lucky to have him supervise my work. In 1991, he graciously wrote a preface to my thesis Development of the Concept and Theory of Alienation in Marx’s Writings that was published in 1995. Our contact led to a lasting friendship that lasted over 30 years. The last time we met in Oslo was 2016. On that occasion he offered me a copy of his newly-published book Fra Marx’ til nyere kapitalkritikk.
References:
1. Otnes, Per, Dag Østerberg: The Dialectic of Post-Positvism, Acta Sociologica March 2006 ◆ Vol 49(1): p. 22.

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Invaders of the mind

February 28, 2009
James Buchan on how an intellectual infiltration helped to civilise us

The theory of permanent Muslim-Christian enmity, though it flourishes in the caves of Tora Bora and parts of the American academy, was long ago exploded by the historians. In this clear and well-written book, Jonathan Lyons delves into all sorts of musty corners to show how Arabic science percolated into the Latin world in the middle ages and helped civilise a rude society.

  1. The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization
  2. by Jonathan Lyons
  3. 248pp,
  4. Bloomsbury,
  5. £20
  1. Buy at the Guardian bookshop

He tells how Arab advances in astronomy, mathematics, engineering, navigation, geography, medicine, architecture, chemistry, gardening, finance and verse passed into Europe by way of the Crusader kingdoms, Sicily and Spain and prepared the ground for both the Renaissance and the scientific advances of the 16th and 17th centuries. This infiltration of ideas has left traces in our language, from alcohol, algebra and algorithm to the Arabic names of the bright stars Betelgeuse and Aldebaran.

With the fall of the Roman empire in the west, Europe lost touch with much of its classical inheritance and was isolated by the Arab invasions from the Byzantine empire where some ancient learning survived. Lyons recounts how early medieval Christendom was unable accurately to measure the time of day for monastic offices, or fix the date of Easter, while dogmatic schemes of scripture and hierarchy left little scope for natural science. Aristotle’s influence was confined to the logic and rhetoric of the schools. Bishop Isidore of Seville promulgated the idea that the Earth was flat.

In contrast, when the Arabs conquered Iraq in the first half of the seventh century AD, they came upon living schools of Hellenistic learning in natural science and medicine, along with Indian mathematics and astronomy that had come by way of Iran. Systematic reasoning, driven out of Muslim jurisprudence in favour of precedents from the Prophet’s life and conduct, found a new field of inquiry in ancient geography and cosmology. After the founding of Baghdad in AD762, the Abbasid caliphs established a library and a team of translators at the Beit al-Hikma, the “House of Wisdom” of Lyons’s title.

A famous early catalogue of Arabic books known as the Fihrist lists as many as 80 Greek authors in Arabic translation, chief among them Aristotle, the mathematician Euclid and the medical philosophers Hippocrates and Galen. For this natural philosophy, the Arabs coined the word falsafa, and called its practitioners falasifa. The great Arabic philosophers such as Ibn Sina in Iran (known in Latin Europe as Avicenna, who died in 1037) and Ibn Rushd in Spain (Averroes, who died in 1198) found ways of inserting Aristotelian natural philosophy and Ptolemaic cosmology into a scriptural monotheism, which was precisely what the Latins needed. As Lyons writes, “Arabic replaced Greek as the universal language of scientific inquiry”.

He begins with a vivid contrast. In 1109, 10 years after the Crusaders sacked Jerusalem and put Muslims, Jews and eastern Christians to the sword, Adelard of Bath, a well-born scholar, set off for Antioch not to kill Muslims but, as he put it, “to investigate the studies of the Arabs” (studia arabum). As so often in medieval biography, a few “facts” are made to work hard, and some scholars (though not Lyons) doubt Adelard ever mastered Arabic. Nonetheless, he is thought to have taken part in translations from Arabic of Euclid’s geometric system, the elements, and the astronomical tables of al-Khwarizmi, and composed such original works as On the Use of the Astrolabe. For Lyons, Adelard is the “first man of science”. Such was the prestige of Arabic learning in England, according to a startling passage here, that partisans of King Henry II, during the quarrel with Rome over Thomas Becket, threatened the king would convert to Islam.

The new learning spread. By the middle of the 12th century, Euclid and Pythagoras are arrayed with the Virgin on the west front of Chartres cathedral. Lyons summons up a world of itinerant scholars such as Michael Scot, who (in the words of one monk) “in Paris seek liberal arts, in Orléans classics, at Salerno medicine, at Toledo magic, but nowhere manners and morals”. Scot found his way to the Arabising court of one of the “baptised Sultans”, the Emperor Frederick II, where he translated Arabic commentaries on Aristotle and helped promote the great mathematician Leonardo of Pisa. Leonardo, generally known as Fibonacci, gave a systematic account of the Arab/Indian numerical system and “the sign 0, which the Arabs call zephyr”, or rather sifr – and which we call the zero.

For the orthodox, these men reeked of brimstone, and Dante placed Michael with the wizards in the eighth circle of hell. St Thomas Aquinas brought a measure of peace to the church, but the systems of Aristotle and Ptolemy became rigid and brittle till they shattered in the Copernican revolution of the 16th century.

Why Muslim science and medicine remained in their medieval state in certain regions well into our lifetimes belongs to another book. For all Lyons’s wonder and admiration, the falasifa were always out of the mainstream of Muslim thought; they are best understood as a sort of sect, like the Shia, and were just as vulnerable to charges of heresy. The only small blemish in this fine book is that Lyons has printed a beautiful page of al-Biruni’s Arabic treatise on mathematics back to front, so the text can only be read in a mirror.

• James Buchan’s latest novel is The Gate of Air, published by Maclehose Press.

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