Friedrich Engels's Critique of the Nature of Social Justice under Capitalism

ABSTRACT

Throughout history there have been a myriad of different notions of social justice, which are widely discussed not only in various forms but also from different angles. Nevertheless, it was not until the emergence of Marxism that the concept of social justice really played a meaningful role in the liberation of humanity from unjust and oppressive social systems. Understanding the Marxist conception of social justice, including F. Engels's critique of the nature of social justice under capitalism, therefore provides the fundamental basis on which countless points of reference may be provided to unveil the true value of social justice under socialism. The theoretical rationale for social justice found in the Marxist classics has an acutely important meaning for the practice of building socialism throughout the world, especially in socialist countries at present.

KEYWORDS:

• Social justice
• socialism
• capitalism

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Minh Hoan Nguyen

Minh Hoan Nguyen is Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Philosophy, Academy of Journalism and Communications, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Hanoi, Vietnam. He has long been engaged in research in the areas of Marxist theory, Western Marxism, scientific socialism, ancient Chinese philosophy, Sinicized Marxism, and the theory and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He is the author of Social Equity in Social Progress (in Vietnamese; National Political Publishing House, 2009), and has published more than 100 articles in major Vietnamese academic journals such as Philosophy, Political Theory Journal, Political Theory and Communication. Some of his publications have been translated into English, Chinese, and Lao.