Marxism and concrete philosophy

Ernst Bloch

pp. 49-71

in: Dick Howard, The Marxian legacy, Berlin, Springer, 2019

Abstract

In order to situate Bloch and his Marxism, it is necessary to move beyond the history of ideas to enter into the concerns and choices of a real movement aiming at changing the world. This orientation presents a double difficulty that arises from trying to understand a thinker who has been an actor in this movement for the past 70 years and at the same time trying to cast some light on this movement itself. The difficulty is multiplied by the fact that Bloch considers himself not simply a philosopher but a Marxist philosopher for whom Marx's Aufhebung of philosophy proposes the elimination of the bad, contemplative philosophy of the past, but not the destruction of philosophy itself. As a result, the facts of history and the choices made by Bloch cannot explain the movement of his action or thought; it is necessary to philosophize with the philosopher-Marxist in order to illuminate his contribution as it was at the time and as it remains.