Episode 118: The Ethics of Interpretation, or “What Suresh Naidu & Jacobin Really Meant"

The co-hosts respond to Suresh Naidu’s piece in “Jacobin,” “What Marx Really Meant.” They begin by discussing norms of interpretation (of texts and of history), with emphasis on why principled interpretation is ethically important. They critique Brill, a major publisher, for insinuating that texts can’t be misinterpreted. They then respond in detail to Naidu, showing that he was not telling the truth when he claimed not to be concerned with “what Marx really meant,” and defending the importance of getting the meaning of texts right against his vitriolic attack. Plus current-events segment, “People of New York 34, Trump 0,” on the historic felony conviction of Donald J. Trump. SUMMER 2024 SCHEDULE: We intend to release new eps once a month, on the first Friday of the month. The next episode, Ep. 119, is slated for release on July 5. The regular schedule will resume with Ep. 121, slated for release on Sept. 6. Radio Free Humanity is co-hosted by Gabriel Donnelly and Andrew Kliman, and sponsored by Marxist-Humanist Initiative (https://www.marxisthumanistinitiative.org/ ).