Critical Political Economy or the Critique of Political Economy?

Abstract

The authors of Überhaupt intended to measure the veracity of Marx’s critique of capitalism through the feasibility of Marx’s supposed concept of socialism. In my article I endeavour to criticize this project on the basis of Moishe Postone’s critique of traditional Marxism and his alternative reading of Marx. After briefly outlining Postone’s approach I focus on what in Überhaupt betrays a retaining of the presuppositions of traditional Marxism. The main point of accord is that both traditional Marxism and the authors of Überhaupt attribute to Marx the attempt to work out a critical political economy. Following Postone I argue that Marx provided a critique of political economy, which is not undermined by the difficulties of conceiving a positive socialist economics.