Socrates Meets Marx: The Father of Philosophy Cross-Examines the Founder of Communism

por Peter Kreeft

Editorial:

Ignatius

, 2003

Overview

In a unique and compelling take on the philosophies of Marx and Socrates. Peter Kreeft pits the ancient Greek philosopher against the founder of Communism. Among the various topics discussed are private property, the individual, the “three philosophies of man”, individualism, and more. This is a wonderful introduction for the uninitiated, and a joy for the experienced student.

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Key Features

• Pits the ancient Greek philosopher against the founder of Communism
• Presents a ficitional dialogue between Socrates and Marx
• Provides a wonderful introduction for the uninitiated

Contents

• The “I”
• The Comprehensive Claim of Marxism
• The Beginning: Is All History Oppression?
• The Present Time: Can Human Nature Change?
• Do Saints Refute Communism?
• The Question of Freedom
• What Has Capitalism Wrought?
• What Has Communism Wrought?
• Is Communism Predestination?
• Private Property
• Objections to Communism
• Individuality
• Can Human Nature Be Changed?
• Communist Culture: An Oxymoron?
• The Family
• Education
• Women
• Nations
• Three Philosophies of Man
• Materialism
• The Steps to Communism

Top Highlights

“For once the number of classes is reduced to one—the proletariat—conflict is reduced to zero.” (Page 22)

“For even bad logic is better than good propaganda.” (Page 46)

“marx: The substantive point is this, Socrates: Thinking is itself a concrete act that takes place in history and has material causes. It is not some ghost outside the act, looking at it from some transcendent point of view outside time and space, as you idealists think. That was the fundamental error that you started, Socrates, the error of idealism. And then it was picked up by Plato and Aristotle and Augustine and Aquinas and Descartes and Hegel and their deceived disciples. Too bad I wasn’t around in your day, Socrates; I would have stopped that error, which vitiated philosophy for two thousand years. I would have done for you what I did for Hegel: turned you right side up. And turned all of philosophy right side up.” (Pages 15–16)

“Capitalism had already reduced the plethora of classes that had characterized feudalism to just two, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The Communist revolution will be the last great event in history, for it will eliminate the bourgeoisie, leaving only ‘the dictatorship of the proletariat’, as I said in my Critique of the Gotha Program and elsewhere, that is, a society of perfect equality and justice, where ‘the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all’, and where, as I said in the same book, all things flow ‘from each according to his ability to each according to his need.’” (Page 22)

“Heraclitus discovered the universality of change, or ‘becoming’. Hegel discovered the logical form of it, the ‘dialectic’” (Pages 21–22)

About Peter Kreeft

Peter Kreeft is a philosopher, theologian, and apologist. His concise, lucid, wit-infused prose draws frequent comparisons to that of C. S. Lewis. He has written dozens of books on understanding philosophy, defending the Christian faith, and encouraging Catholics on difficult doctrine. He is currently professor of philosophy at Boston College.