Rethinking Marx's Theory of Future Society

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  • マルクスの未来社会論を再考する
  • マルクス ノ ミライ シャカイロン オ サイコウ スル

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Marx did not truly predict the blueprint of future society. In general, Marx's idea of communism was proven wrong by the failure of the Soviet Union in the 20th century. However, recent studies have clarified that Marx's ideal future society was not state socialism such as it occurred within the Soviet Union, but an associative society in which various spontaneous associations unite. Marx believed that producer cooperatives were the most important form that an association could take, but also warned that disconnected cooperatives could not overcome capitalism. In order to transcend capitalist society, Marx asserted that various associations needed to unite and form a vast associative society. In order to realize this union of various associations, “fully developed individuals” who positively participate in organizing associations must appear. In other words, Marx's ideal of communist society cannot be realized without the appearance of “fully developed individuals.” Although a united society of associations sounds like a utopia, Marx expected that the “fully developed individuals” would appear through the decrease of labor time and the increase of free time, as Marx argued that individuals can fully develop their abilities and talents by utilizing their free time. Marx wrote that free time would be wealth itself, partly for the enjoyment of the product, partly for free activity in a future society. Therefore, the decrease of labor time and the increase of free time was the decisive element in the realization of his ideal of associative society. By increasing free time, Marx thought, all workers would become “fully developed individuals,” take part in associative action, and finally, actualize an ideal associative society.

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