Episode 96: Philosophy and the Transformation of Reality: Marx vs. Hegel and Feuerbach

Brendan interviews Andrew about his new article, “Transforming Reality, Not Only Thought: Marx’s Critique of Hegel’s Dialectic and of Feuerbach’s Materialism.” The article argues that Marx criticized Hegel and Feuerbach for according primacy to disembodied thought and “sensuous reality,” respectively. Marx instead put forward a new philosophy of human activity, rooted in his reinterpretation of the Hegelian dialectic (the “negation of the negation”). While Feuerbach’s “method of inversion” and Hegel’s notion that thought transcends objectivity both leave the world as it was, Marx’s alternative assists in the transformation of reality. In the interview, Andrew and Brendan discuss these ideas and related issues, including: why Marx has been misconstrued as a follower of Feuerbach; why it is important for revolutionary thought to grasp contradictions as internal, not external; Marx’s conception of human activity; and the difference between transcending alienation and transcending objectivity,

Plus current-events segment: Crazy like on Fox: Trump is blabbing incessantly about his theft of government documents. Is this just the act of a compulsive liar, or is it an (extra-)legal strategy? An Atlantic article by Ryan Goodman and Andrew Weissmann is referred to during the discussion.

Radio Free Humanity is a podcast covering news, politics and philosophy from a Marxist-Humanist perspective.
It is co-hosted by Brendan Cooney and Andrew Kliman. We intend to release new episodes every two weeks.
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