RFH Episode 130: Marx’s Conception of Socialist Society: Responses to Raekstad’s Reading

Resuming a discussion of Paul Raekstad’s “Karl Marx’s Realist Critique of Capitalism,”the co-hosts respond to the book’s interpretation of Marx’s conception of socialist society. Paul contends that socialism, for Marx, centers on democratic planning, ending the division of labor, and distribution according to need. The co-hosts discuss important features of Marx’s concept of socialism that this formulation leaves out and its inattention to the economic differences between socialism’s lower and higher phases. They suggest that, if we want to realize socialism, here and now, and we want to critique Stalinism realistically and effectively, focus on the lower phase is needed. (The co-hosts have invited Paul Raekstad back to the podcast to discuss the issues.) Plus current-events segment: the co-hosts discuss the inauguration and the first week of Trump’s second terms. Radio Free Humanity is co-hosted by Gabriel Donnelly and Andrew Kliman, and sponsored by Marxist-Humanist Initiative (https://www.marxisthumanistinitiative.org/ ).