Seminar
By the hand of Marx: Market, State and Civil Society in the 21st Century
Dialogue between Fernando Rosas and Boaventura de Sousa Santos
January 16th, 2009, 17:00, Keynes Hall, School of Economics, University of Coimbra
From Marx to Gramsci: hegemony, memory and the return of politics
Fernando Rosas
Towards a post-abyssal conception of Marxism
Boaventura de Sousa Santos
Presentation
At the 21st century, the work of Karl Marx asserts its authenticity as a path towards the analysis of the nature of capitalist development in its contradictions and antagonisms, in the marks of “worldization of capital with financial domination”. The “the rebirth of Marx” perspective is diffused, broadening critical thought as what regards to the understanding of the present state of crisis and instabilities.
A central issue – the historic imperative of our time - is the potentiality of Marxist thought in pointing out alternatives besides capital, in delimitating paths of social emancipation in the world we live in.
In this sense of transformation of the capital system, Antonio Gramsci stands out, in the core of Marxism, through the uniqueness and extent of his conceptions, embolding the revolutionary tradition with new theoretical and alternative instruments of political action. The gramschian conception of hegemony allows the configuration of Politics as a decisive field of impacts, articulating ideological direction and domination as a path of revolution in our times.
This Seminar seeks to press forward the discussion of the potential of Marxism in order to respond to challenging issues of our contemporary state of affairs. The instigating analysis of Boaventura de Sousa Santos and Fernando Rosas opens broad horizons towards the debate, delimitating research paths as to discern distinct meanings regarding emancipatory struggles. It is a unique moment of progression in the construction of critical thought through “the hand of Marx”, trailing paths opened through dialogue between two scholars that, above all, assume the challenge of our historic time of (Re)invention of Social Emancipation.
Biographic notes
Fernando Rosas, Portuguese historian, holds a doctorate degree in Economic and Contemporary Social History at the School of Social and Human Sciences, Universidade Nova, Lisbon (1990). Full professor and president of the Contemporary History Institute (IHC) of the same university. Recently, he coordinated the Karl Marx International Congress, promoted by IHC, commemorating the 150 years of the “Grundrisse”. In the course of his academic trajectory, his interest, whilst researcher, has faced the history of the Estado Novo and is, today, unanimously considered one of the greatest Portuguese experts on this historical period. Fernando Rosas is, presently, Member of Parliament of the Portuguese Republic, through the Bloco de Esquerda, integrating the National Defense and Foreign Affairs Commission.
Boaventura de Sousa Santos, holds a doctorate degree at Yale University (JSD, 1973), is Full Professor at the School of Economics, University of Coimbra, Distinguished Legal Scholar, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Global Legal Scholar, University of Warwick. Director of the Centre for Social Studies, School of Economics, University of Coimbra and of the 25 de Abril Documentation Centre, University of Coimbra. Research themes: Epistemology, Sociology of Law, Post-colonial Theory, Democracy, Interculturality, Globalization, social movements, human rights. His books have been published in Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, German and French. www.boaventuradesousasantos.pt
Coordination:
CES Post-Doctoral Researchers