Formalism and Instrumentalism in the Marxist Critique of Right : With What Must Pashukanian Theory Begin?
Wilén, Carl LU
(2025)
In Rethinking Marxism
37(1).
p.96-112
- Abstract
- The critique of the legal form of capitalism by E. B. Pashukanis has risen to prominence once again. However, the negative origin of the concept of the legal form, the critique of formalism and instrumentalism, has received too little attention. This essay substantiates the significance of Pashukanis’s critique, avoiding both overly general and narrow conceptions. Moreover, it proposes that his negative contribution is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities. Importantly, while acknowledging notable differences, the analysis of the inner connections between formalism and instrumentalism enables an examination of how the spectrum embodies a circular... (More)
- The critique of the legal form of capitalism by E. B. Pashukanis has risen to prominence once again. However, the negative origin of the concept of the legal form, the critique of formalism and instrumentalism, has received too little attention. This essay substantiates the significance of Pashukanis’s critique, avoiding both overly general and narrow conceptions. Moreover, it proposes that his negative contribution is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities. Importantly, while acknowledging notable differences, the analysis of the inner connections between formalism and instrumentalism enables an examination of how the spectrum embodies a circular logic by which formalism unavoidably advances its negation through instrumentalism, and vice versa. The ultimate source of the circularity of the spectrum can be found in moments of circulation and production under capitalism, providing social validation of formalism and instrumentalism, respectively. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- The critique of the legal form of capitalism by E. B. Pashukanis has risen to prominence once again. However, the negative origin of the concept of the legal form, the critique of formalism and instrumentalism, has received too little attention. This essay substantiates the significance of Pashukanis’s critique, avoiding both overly general and narrow conceptions. Moreover, it proposes that his negative contribution is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities. Importantly, while acknowledging notable differences, the analysis of the inner connections between formalism and instrumentalism enables an examination of how the spectrum embodies a circular... (More)
- The critique of the legal form of capitalism by E. B. Pashukanis has risen to prominence once again. However, the negative origin of the concept of the legal form, the critique of formalism and instrumentalism, has received too little attention. This essay substantiates the significance of Pashukanis’s critique, avoiding both overly general and narrow conceptions. Moreover, it proposes that his negative contribution is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities. Importantly, while acknowledging notable differences, the analysis of the inner connections between formalism and instrumentalism enables an examination of how the spectrum embodies a circular logic by which formalism unavoidably advances its negation through instrumentalism, and vice versa. The ultimate source of the circularity of the spectrum can be found in moments of circulation and production under capitalism, providing social validation of formalism and instrumentalism, respectively. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/891d05b9-3347-4214-8375-c790b5d78685
- author
- Wilén, Carl
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Formalism, Instrumentalism, Marxism, Political Strategy, Voluntarism
- in
- Rethinking Marxism
- volume
- 37
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 17 pages
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105000742130
- ISSN
- 0893-5696
- DOI
- 10.1080/08935696.2024.2435774
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 891d05b9-3347-4214-8375-c790b5d78685
- date added to LUP
- 2025-04-09 07:53:07
- date last changed
- 2025-04-23 13:37:54
@article{891d05b9-3347-4214-8375-c790b5d78685,
abstract = {{The critique of the legal form of capitalism by E. B. Pashukanis has risen to prominence once again. However, the negative origin of the concept of the legal form, the critique of formalism and instrumentalism, has received too little attention. This essay substantiates the significance of Pashukanis’s critique, avoiding both overly general and narrow conceptions. Moreover, it proposes that his negative contribution is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities. Importantly, while acknowledging notable differences, the analysis of the inner connections between formalism and instrumentalism enables an examination of how the spectrum embodies a circular logic by which formalism unavoidably advances its negation through instrumentalism, and vice versa. The ultimate source of the circularity of the spectrum can be found in moments of circulation and production under capitalism, providing social validation of formalism and instrumentalism, respectively.}},
author = {{Wilén, Carl}},
issn = {{0893-5696}},
keywords = {{Formalism; Instrumentalism; Marxism; Political Strategy; Voluntarism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{96--112}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{Rethinking Marxism}},
title = {{Formalism and Instrumentalism in the Marxist Critique of Right : With What Must Pashukanian Theory Begin?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08935696.2024.2435774}},
doi = {{10.1080/08935696.2024.2435774}},
volume = {{37}},
year = {{2025}},
}