Marx’s Idea of Communist Transformation

This chapter argues that although Engels successfully encouraged Marxism to adopt Hegelian metaphysics as its philosophy of historical change, Marx himself can be absolved of charges of teleology and political gradualism. Guided by Galvano Della Volpe’s reconstruction of Marx’s thought, it is shown that Marx’s methodology of real abstraction stands in stark contrast to Hegel’s speculative dialectic. Capital may contain isolated chapters that suggest teleological historicism, but taken as a whole the text points to the need for a conscious break from capitalism informed by economic analysis. The chapter concludes by contrasting Marx’s political statements about communist transformation with Kautsky’s and Lenin’s views on the post-revolutionary transition period.