Reductionism and Economism

From MarxWiki

In `Gramsci's Relevance for the Study of Race and Ethnicity` Stuart Hall lays out his interpretation of Gramsci's writings, then uses Gramsci's theorizations to analyize how we think about race and racism.

Reductionism and Economism

Gramsci argued that one must understand the fundamental structures (objective relations) within society because these structures shape and set the limits of historical development. But the error of reductionism and economism is to take these tendencies and constrains and translate them into absolutely determined political or ideological effects. In other words, they are constraints, but not historical determinants.

In a similar vein, Gramsci insisted that the length and complexity of crises cannot be mechanically predicted, but instead develop over long historical periods, emphasizing dynamic historical forces rather than determining ones.