The Opium of the Intellectuals (2005)
Might be a little off topic, but I’d really appreciate it if someone could explain why highly educated people describe themselves as Marxists.<p>I’m quite left-leaning in my views, and I agree with many of the criticisms levelled at capitalism, but I don’t see why people support Marxism.<p>Two main arguments:<p>1. Hasn’t Marxism had its chance? Yes, it wasn’t “real Marxism” in a sense, but why would you think it’d turn out different if tried again? We have to consider the reality of the world we live in.<p>2. How many precedents are there for a complete upheaval of the economic system on that scale that have worked? I’m aware of some of the history, but I can’t think of a change <i>that</i> large which worked.<p>How do modern Marxists answer those concerns? From the outside it looks like they’re ignoring history or the reality of human behaviour.