All Ethics Hitherto: On Karl Marx's Proletarian Ethics of Human Flourishing

(Hardback)

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In order to determine how Marxs moral views informed his views on capitalism, this book argues that Marx developed an ethic of human flourishing that resembles but also diverges from Aristotles. Located among the toiling masses instead of the elite, Marxs notion of human flourishing is grounded on an ontology of human nature that is holistic but also historicized and dynamic, as humans remake their world and themselves through their labor. Marxs derisive writings about moralism and moralists have often been read as a rejection of the value of moral and ethical reasoning, but he also identified specific prescriptions such as reducing the length of the workday as the central value in pursuing human flourishing. With a careful analysis of Marxs theories of human nature, alienation, labor, their ethical implications, and how they compare to Aristotles theory of human nature as well as Hegels theory of tragedy, All Ethics Hitherto shows how the ethical problems Marx mentions function as a totality. Marxs approach to ethics can provide a useful basis for social movements today which are concerned with economic and social inequalities.

Author Bio

Sam Badger is PhD student in Philosophy, University of South Florida, USA