ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to show that critiques of orthodox Weber Marxist theory of the state are flawed by their acceptance of the idea of a class-conscious ruling class. It argues that there is a basis in Karl Marx’s writing for rejecting the idea of a class-conscious ruling class. The chapter discusses a structural argument that shows that even in the absence of ruling-class class consciousness, the state managers are strongly discouraged from pursuing anti-capitalist policies. It examines the issue of capitalist rationality and describes how it grows out of the structured relationship among capitalists, workers, and state managers. The chapter analyzes the implications of the argument for capitalism’s current difficulties in the United States. The critics of instrumentalism propose the idea of the relative autonomy of the state as an alternative framework. The idea of a division of labor between non-class-conscious capitalists and those who manage the state apparatus can be found in Marx’s writings.
