Economics, Social Consciousness and the Laws of History after Marx

Abstract

Few people believe that Marxists gave adequate reasons for the predicted collapse of capitalism. But can market economies and liberal democracies survive indefinitely? Their survival depends on the solution to at least two problems. Continued expansion must lead to depleted environments and shortages of resources. More importantly, the “possessive individualist” attitude to property tends to have an internalizing effect on human consciousness, separating people from one another and blinding them to certain realities. Argues that other relations to property and other modes of consciousness are possible and that solutions may be forthcoming.