Marxism and post-Marxism

a dialogue concerning social classes

Abstract

This article aims at establishing a dialogue between Marxism and post-Marxism, in which the guiding principle is the concept of social class. We discuss the movement of construction of the thought of Laclau and Mouffe, focusing their reference in Gramsci. The way to approach the topic moves between these systems of thought, and the concept of social class appears as an “unit-idea”. It demonstrates how the problem of classes clarifies the general relationship between Marxism and post-Marxism. In Laclau and Mouffe, class is conceived within a wide range of possible articulations towards the constitution of social actors into historical subjects. Finally, linked to this analysis, we intend to promote a discussion about the political project of post-Marxism, radical and plural democracy, and the importance of Marxist tradition and the heritage of its “critical thinking”.