Let's delve into the concept of "Rethinking Marxism," drawing on the ideas presented in the sources you've provided. It's a significant development within critical thought that emerged from a recognition that traditional or "orthodox" forms of Marxism needed serious reconsideration in light of historical events and changing social landscapes. At its heart, "Rethinking Marxism" is about revitalizing Marxist theory and practice from perspectives that move away from rigid determinism and dogmatism. This project, notably associated with the journal _Rethinking Marxism_ founded in 1988, aims to develop a more nuanced and multi-faceted approach to understanding society and politics. The scholars involved sought to challenge deterministic theories of knowledge, history, and society that were prevalent in some traditional Marxist interpretations. One of the key departures in "Rethinking Marxism" is its emphasis on the interconnection of economic, political, and cultural processes. Unlike some earlier Marxist thought that might have prioritized the economic "base" as the ultimate determinant of social phenomena, this approach stresses a more complex interplay. To grasp this interconnection, thinkers associated with _Rethinking Marxism_ drew upon concepts like Louis Althusser's notion of "overdetermination". While this concept has various interpretations, it's broadly understood here as a way to move beyond essentialist and deterministic views of political economy by highlighting the multi-relational aspects of economic and social processes. This suggests that social outcomes are not determined by a single cause but by a convergence of multiple factors. Another central element is a re-evaluation, and sometimes a critique, of the concept of class. Traditional Marxism often viewed structural class position as the primary historical determinant of social and political identities, and saw structural tendencies toward the unification of the working class as having a privileged connection to the struggle for socialism. "Rethinking Marxism," however, often adopts a non-essentialist class analysis. This means challenging the idea that social inequalities and political differences can be simply reduced to or subsumed under class dynamics. This leads to exploring the potential for engagement with non-class divisions and recognizing the plurality of antagonisms within society. A major influence on "Rethinking Marxism" has been the work of Antonio Gramsci. Gramsci's concepts, particularly that of hegemony, have been crucial for this rethinking project. Hegemony, for Gramsci, involves not just coercion but also the production of consent and the function of intellectual activity across state and civil society relations. His idea of the "philosophy of praxis" is also significant, understood as a rejection of fatalistic evolutionisms and false guarantees of a philosophy of history that afflicted official Marxisms. Gramsci's approach emphasizes that Marxism is an active, developing body of thinking, not a fixed doctrine. His insights encourage a recognition of alternative viewpoints and the critical examination of other theories to appropriate useful insights while rejecting others. He also highlighted the importance of the "ethico-political" dimension of hegemony, focusing on issues of justice, legitimacy, and moral credibility integrated into social analysis. The engagement with Gramsci also connects "Rethinking Marxism" to the broader intellectual currents of post-structuralism and post-Marxism. Post-Marxism, as a theoretical position, has emerged from critical arguments made within Marxism, often coinciding with post-structuralist ideas from thinkers like Derrida and Lacan. Figures like Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, who are key in establishing post-Marxism, explicitly take Gramsci's theory of hegemony as a starting point for their work, even while arguing that Marxism is no longer viable as a comprehensive, systematic theory. Post-Marxism, in this context, is described as extending and elaborating the concept of hegemony, giving new recognition to the pluralism found in contemporary Western democracies. It challenges deterministic views, the idea that the economic base has explanatory primacy, and the notion that politics is secondary. Laclau and Mouffe introduce concepts like "discourse" as a way to analyze social and historical phenomena, explicitly criticizing traditional Marxist assumptions about the material/ideal split. They also critique the idea of a fundamental social "positivity" or completed closure, seeing the social as always an attempt at suture. This emphasis on negativity, destruction/deconstruction, and meaninglessness in post-structuralism aligns with some aspects of Laclau and Mouffe's approach. However, some critics argue that post-Marxism, particularly through its engagement with post-structuralism, risks becoming a purely speculative project unable to engage with the "social" realm effectively. There's a concern that by neglecting a strong engagement with Gramsci's ethico-political hegemony and focusing purely on post-structuralist concepts, post-Marxism loses its capacity for effective social and political efficacy. The challenge then becomes articulating the plurality of antagonisms through logics capable of reconfiguring identities to express a sense of equivalence, rather than just recognizing differences. "Rethinking Marxism" has also grappled with critiques from thinkers like Michel Foucault. Foucault's work challenged traditional Marxist concepts like ideology and repression, suggesting they relied on a nostalgia for transparent knowledge and power without coercion. He also questioned totalizing conceptions of society and power, proposing a more dispersed understanding of power relations and challenging the idea of a singular, unified struggle. Engaging with Foucault pushes Marxist thinkers to reconsider the scope of socialist struggles, the nature of "the social," and whether socialist politics must be committed to constructing a new "whole society" or can focus on transforming relations and practices in specific sites. Ultimately, "Rethinking Marxism" reflects a vital effort to grapple with the complexities of the contemporary world and the challenges faced by traditional Marxist thought. It seeks to be a dynamic, evolving body of thinking, open to revision and appropriation from other fields, rather than a static, dogmatic system. It encourages a critical stance not just towards capitalism but also towards Marxism itself, aiming for an internal renewal that allows it to remain a relevant tool for critical analysis and the development of alternative politics and culture. Further ideas to explore include: - The specific contributions of key thinkers in the "Rethinking Marxism" tradition beyond Resnick and Wolff. - The ongoing debates about the relationship between "Rethinking Marxism" and post-Marxism/post-structuralism. - How "Rethinking Marxism" addresses the critique that it lacks a clear basis for political action or normative standards if it rejects traditional foundations. - Case studies of how "Rethinking Marxism" has been applied to analyze specific social phenomena or political struggles. - Comparing the "Rethinking Marxism" approach to other attempts to update or revise Marxism, such as Critical Theory from the Frankfurt School.