ABSTRACT
What is Marxism’s role in the 21st century? The divisive issues of class and social identity need to be re-examined in the face of on-going and intensifying capitalist crisis. There exists a crisis of leadership within ‘anti-capitalist’ opposition movements. A re-invigorated Marxism offers the best means for challenging capitalism.
Marxist responses to capitalism need to reflect the qualitative changes that are apparent, but the additional problem of multiple ‘Marxisms’ needs to be resolved. This problem is reflected in the decades-long debates of ‘reform or revolution’, as well as the disputed issue of the decisive role of the working class.
Polemic and debate allow for theory and ideas to grow, but it has come at the cost of the ‘practice’ of Marxism. The most significant and fundamental question is what form of political expression this will be.
Marxism has proven to be a valuable analytical tool and has the capacity to trace the trajectory of capitalism. This, however, is not enough. Marxism’s ultimate purpose is to combat and challenge capitalism – to change the world.
