STS and Marxist Study: Where are We Standing Now?

Abstract

Classical Marxism is apparently a past topic. But, Marxist methodology is still useful to treat several contemporary problems of science and technology studies (STS).

Marx had criticized the capitalist economy of his time and classical economic theory by analyzing the commodity production of the industrial revolution. But, he accepted western science and industrial technology as given factors in the capitalist economy. Though Classical Marxism attributed knowledge to the ideological superstructure of social relationships, it did not treat knowledge production as an economic and social process. Now knowledge, especially scientific and technological knowledge, is an essential feature of the contemporary economy of the developed countries. Now the, critical study of production and distribution of knowledge, the object of STS, is an essential subject of our time. It includes the problems of ever expanding new working class: technical specialists, professionals, software workers, and health-related professionals. They, once independent proud professionals, are now in unstable working conditions. Improved Marxist methodology might make possible such a critical study.

Keywords:

• Marxism
• STS
• Japan

Notes

This article is based on a short comment to presentations at the Workshop on Japanese STS, held on 26 August 2011 at Komaba Campus of Tokyo University.

[1] For example, we can see the results of 'deconstruction’ of Marxist doctrine in works of Jacque Derrida and Jean Lyotard.

[2] The author gave a presentation at the 2010 4S Conference at Komaba, Tokyo: “Industrial Technology in Present-day Japan: Innovation, Market and Labor”.