57 – Everything You Wanted to Know About Marxism but Were Too Afraid to Ask w/ Dr. Paul Raekstad

If you think we can't rely on the moral sense of our oppressors not to oppress us, you might already be a Marxist. Marxism is ultimately about systems rather than only about the individuals. When something bad happens, rather than only thinking "what's wrong with this individual" but also asking "what's wrong with this system? What's enabling these individuals? How do we change the system to prevent more of this from happening," you're working your way through the same questions Marxism asks. Then learning more about Marxism can help refine some of your thinking and fill in some gaps. Dr. Paul Raekstad received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Currently he's a lecturer in political theory at the University of Edinburgh. He focuses his work on human development, freedom and democracy, the future of economic institutions, and prefigurative politics. He has a book out called “Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today.” He's also one of the creators of the Red Plateaus YouTube channel. And if you love the show, tell your friends. Spread the word. Tell them they're missing out. Also, rate and review us. Be detailed, and tell us about yourself and how you heard of us. This lets Apple and other podcasting platforms know to tell other listeners about us. Find Red Plateaus on YouTube and Twitter: @RPlateaus, and Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today: https://amzn.to/2HXO2DG Support Southpaw on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/southpawpod You can find Southpaw on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @SouthpawPod As well as on the Southpaw Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/southpaw You can also find Sam on Twitter and Instagram: @StuffFromSam