Final Paper Directions
Length: 2,500–3,000 words (about 10–12 double-spaced pages in APA 7th format)
Minimum Sources:
- At least 4 course readings:
- Marx – On the Jewish Question
- Marx – Critique of the Gotha Program
- Marx & Engels – The German Ideology
- Engels – Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
- At least 2 contrasting philosophers:
- John Rawls – A Theory of Justice
- G.W.F. Hegel – Elements of the Philosophy of Right
- Outside scholarly sources may be used only to support and contextualize philosophical arguments, not replace them.
Outline & Section Guide
1. Introduction (1–1.5 pages)
- Introduce the debate about justice (liberal vs. materialist)
- Briefly explain historical materialism
- Thesis: justice requires material equality and economic transformation
- Roadmap of the paper
2. Historical Materialism Explained (3–4 pages)
- Define base–superstructure using The German Ideology
- Explain Engels’ historical materialism in Socialism: Utopian and Scientific
- Show how political/legal systems reflect class interests
- Question: How does historical materialism understand the relationship between economics and justice?
3. Marx and Engels on Justice (3–4 pages)
- On the Jewish Question → critique of liberal rights
- Critique of the Gotha Program → justice as material equality
- Political emancipation vs. human emancipation
- Question: What is Marx and Engels’ philosophical critique of liberal justice?
4. Comparative Analysis: Liberal and Idealist Views (2–3 pages)
- Rawls’ “justice as fairness” and its limits
- Hegel’s recognition and ethical life framework
- Contrast both with Marxist materialism
- Question: Why is material equality more fundamental than formal equality?
5. Defense of Materialist Justice (2–3 pages)
- Respond to Rawls: “Material equality is unrealistic”
- Respond to Hegel: “Recognition is enough”
- Philosophical reasons equality of resources is necessary for freedom and justice
- Question: Why should justice be redefined through a materialist lens?
6. Conclusion (1–1.5 pages)
- Restate thesis
- Summarize main arguments
- Implications for philosophy and policy today
APA 7th Formatting Requirements:
- Title page with running head and page numbers
- Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, 1” margins
- In-text citations: (Marx, 1978, p. 35)
- References page in APA format
Essay Proposal
Working Title:
Redefining Justice Through Historical Materialism: A Philosophical Defense of Marx and Engels
Thesis Statement:
This paper argues that Marx and Engels’ theory of historical materialism not only explains why public policy serves dominant economic classes but also provides a philosophical basis for redefining justice itself. Unlike liberal theories that view justice as fairness within existing institutions, historical materialism insists that justice requires material equality and the restructuring of the economic base of society.
Overview of the Paper:
This paper will defend the claim that justice should be grounded in material conditions, not merely legal or political principles. Using Marx’s On the Jewish Question, Critique of the Gotha Program, and The German Ideology alongside Engels’ Socialism: Utopian and Scientific, I will argue that political rights are insufficient without economic transformation. I will contrast this position with John Rawls’ liberal conception of justice and Hegel’s ethical life framework to demonstrate that historical materialism offers a more coherent and socially effective vision of justice.
The paper will proceed in four steps:
- Clarify historical materialism and its critique of liberal justice.
- Define a materialist conception of justice based on Marx and Engels.
- Compare and contrast with Rawls and Hegel to address potential objections.
- Defend historical materialism as the stronger philosophical framework for justice.
Connection to the Course:
This topic directly engages with our themes of justice, power, and structural inequality, drawing on course readings from Marx, Engels, Hegel, and Rawls. It moves beyond applying theory to history and builds a philosophical argument about how justice ought to be defined.
Preliminary Bibliography:
- Marx, K. (1978). On the Jewish question. In R. C. Tucker (Ed.), The Marx-Engels Reader (pp. 26–52). W. W. Norton & Company.
Used to critique liberal rights as insufficient for human emancipation. - Marx, K. (1978). Critique of the Gotha program. In R. C. Tucker (Ed.), The Marx-Engels Reader (pp. 525–541). W. W. Norton & Company.
Used to articulate a positive vision for material equality as justice. - Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1970). The German ideology. International Publishers.
Used to explain the base–superstructure model and its implications for law and politics. - Engels, F. (1970). Socialism: Utopian and scientific. International Publishers.
Used to clarify historical materialism and class struggle. - Rawls, J. (1999). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press.
Used as a liberal counterpoint to historical materialism. - Hegel, G. W. F. (1991). Elements of the philosophy of right. Cambridge University Press.
Used to contrast recognition and ethical life with materialist justice.