“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it” (Karl Marx, 1845)
In our June meeting we looked at Marxism, followed by a quick peep at the work of Marcuse.
We explored some of the core ideas proposed by Karl Marx and his friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels. We wondered whether some of them, such as “dialectical materialism” are really quite simple concepts wrapped up in infuriating philosophical jargon (or not) and went on to look at the “motor of history”, the Marxist theory of how human societies progress from one stage to another.
The capitalist system and its downsides were reviewed, then we considered how Marx believed the transition to socialism and communism would happen. The question is, is the legacy of Marxism, a) the most potent framework for human emancipation, or b) an inherently flawed ideology that enabled unprecedented state repression?
This discussion was followed by a brief but intriguing introduction by Pat to the work of the 20th century philosopher, Herbert Marcuse. He had much to say about both capitalism and communism, and we will find out more at our next meeting in July when Pat gives us a fuller picture.
This meeting marked the 10th anniversary of the group’s beginning, with 4 of the original members present. We decided that this must be celebrated, so this we did with a bring and share lunch, including cake with candles, then puzzles and a quiz – philosophically based as of course you would expect. Here’s to the future of this excellent group!
We meet at Enterprise House, at 10am on the 4th Tuesday of each month and everyone is welcome.
Clare Tuddenham, June 2026.
