ASSIGNMENT OF AMERICAN DRAMA

Term Paper

Revolutionary subjectivity of Post-Marxists

On

The Magpie

Submitted By

Anees Abbas Shah

Semester VIII

Roll No. 22 (SS)

BS ENGLISH

Submitted To

Sir Asad Ullah

Lecturer

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

UNIVERSITY OF SARGODHA, SUB CAMPUS BHAKKAR

SESSION 2017-2021
 Abstract

The paper investigates the novel The Magpie applying revolutionary subjectivity of post Marxist as a
research methodology. The ideas espoused by Karl Marx, Ernesto Laclau, (populism) Louis Althusser,
Antonio Negri, (Operaismo) and Alain Badiou (event, truth and communist hypothesis ) have been
applied one by one and it has been concluded that this novel is purely based on the revolutionary
subjectivity post Marxist with the help of taking the example from the text.

Key words: post-Marxism, populism, Operaismo, dialectical materialism, communist hypothesis,

Introduction

The objective of this paper is to analyze the novel The Magpie written by Douglas Durkin, and
revolutionary subjectivity of post- Marxist thought use as the method of investigating it. . A number of
main figures of the theory have been kept in view while analyzing the novel and the main points of these
scholars have been considered. The opinions of the main figures of the theory like Karl Marx, Ernesto
Laclau, Chantal Mouffe, Louis Althusser, Antonio Negri, Alain Badiou, Antonio Gramsci, Vladimir
Lenin, and Mao Zedong have been kept in view while interpreting the text.

The revolutionary subjectivity of Marx is that, there are consequently three essential circumstances to
Marx’s theory of revolutionary subjectivity: revolutionary subjectivity is distinct all the way through the
prism of creative action; it emerges at hand through both objective and subjective factors; its aim is the
capture of political power and the institution of a classless society. It further discuses by some post
Marxist philosophers.

There are some differences and similarities seen in the ideas of these writers. The similarity of all the
theories and the basic point of the writers are based on the base and superstructure model of Marx. Also
differences are seen in all these writers. Lenin was the believer of Marx but also differ in some sort to
him. He says the revolution is possible in core peripheries nation not in the central Europe. Second thing
is that in Marx point of view the democratic political party is not explicitly mention, but Lenin introduce
this and says that if you want revolution so you should make a revolutionary party first. In Marx writing
we have not seen the role of state but Lenin says that the role of state is much important in revolutionary
socialism which is the first step toward communism. Next Laclau also has some sort of different with
Marx.

His denial of dialectical logic Laclau split the all three circumstances which we recognized in Marx’s
theory of revolutionary subjectivity: revolutionary subjectivity has not essentially defined by creative
labor, it doesn’t appear entirely the intrinsic to capitalism, and finally there cannot be any social closure.
Antonio Negri also has a difference with Marx. In the point of view of Negri revolutionary subjectivity
identify with the prism of prolific action, the emergence of it can be clarify inversely to industrialist
expansion, and the aim of it likewise engage diverge at the stage of entirety. Although we have seen that
the third form is a lot fewer straightforward, for in Negri explanations this procedure should not engage
the spasm of state authority and nor do this procedure of necessity signify a conclusion to whole class
opposition. Alain Badiou also has a little difference with Marx point of view. The opposition of Badiou
idea from Marx is on revolutionary subjectivity is that, Badiou revolutionary subjectivity is not label with
the scope of creative action, it appear only incompletely intrinsic to that which it approaches to transform,
and it have to not engage the spasm of state authority. And the relationship or communality with is just on
the basis of similarity with Mao.

The lines from the text which has been analyzed under discussion and analysis part have been founded
that this novel is a about class conflict, Russian revolution, business modern life, love and romance, and
political affaire of European Union. It has also been indicated that this novel significantly follow the
thoughts of revolutionary subjectivity of post Marxist.

From Marx to Post-Marxism

He was born in 5 may 1818 in Trier city of Germany. He completes his early education in his home and
then goes to Trier higher school. In the age of 17years in 1835 he got admission in university of Bon. He
got admission in Law but did not well in law he complete his degree with low marks since he was
interested in history and philosophy. In 1836 he engaged with Jenny Von Westphalen she was belongs to
a well educated and rich family but Marx belongs to a middle class family. He was a good friend of his
Father in law he like him as much that he dedicate his PHD to his friend and Father in law. He got
married in 19june 1843.

At the time of 1843 he started reading Hegel a political philosopher. The followers of Hegel divided in to
two parts the left Hegelians and the right Hegelians. He chose left Hegelians where two personalities were
very famous one was Ludwig Feuerbach 1804 to 1872 and the second was Bruno Bauer 1809 to 1832. In
this age Marx started writing Literature for his own satisfaction he wrote poetry dramas novels etc, but
did not published one of these. In 1841 he completed his PHD the name of his thesis was “the difference
between the Democritean and Epicurean philosophy of nature”.

He joins a magazine and started writing column and political criticism in 1842 but his arguments was so
radical and government band this magazine in 1843 then he join another magazine named Deutsche
Jahrbuchor and this was his misfortune that government also band this again. In 1843 he completed his
book named On the Jewish Question and then he completes another book Contribution to a Critique of
Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.

Because of strictness of the Government he left Germany with his wife Jenny and moved to Paris in
October 1843 for the satisfaction of life. Here he joins another revolutionary magazine Deutsche
Franzosische Jahrbucher and government also bands this. Then he meet Engels in 1844 and wrote a joint
work The Holy Family and also started work on The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts, and in this
book first time Marx introduce the concept of Alienation. In 1845 he wrote Thesis on Feuerbach the most
famous quote of this thesis is “The philosophers have only interpreted the World, the point, however is to
change it”.

He started work for another magazine named Vorwarts the founders of this magazine were Revolutionary
Socialists League of the Just and then this league changed his name into Communist league, and then in
1845 government banned this magazine and exiled Marx. Marx moved to Brussels where he met with
Moses Hess Karl Heinzen Joseph Wedemeyre and Engels again come here and wrote a book The
German Ideology two years after in 1847 he wrote a book The Property of Philosophy in which he
criticize the anarchist movement.

In 1848 he introduced The Communist Manifesto again he exiled by Germany and Pares and moved to
London then criticize the Feudal system and he face so much poverty during those days and his son Edgar
Marx died since he had not treated well because of the lack of money. In 1852 he complete his book The
18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte in this book he discuss the condition of France. In 1864 he start a
movement First Workingmen’s International in this movement he criticize Mikhail Bakunin who was an
anarchist.

In 1867 he introduce his Das Kapital in which he discuss about the feudal system in England, the capital
volume 2 and the capital volume 3 had published before his death. He was very influential writer and
philosopher. He could not get success in his life but before his death he got success as much as that he is
alive now in all over the world. He was against the monarchy system he wanted to make a communist
society on the basis of democracy. He was liberalist and want equality in the society. He talks about the
class struggle and addresses to the labor class that they must want to give stand for their own rights. He
says that if communism will be the system of the government so there will not any class clash arise and
every one give equal rights in the society and this is a peaceful way of living for peoples.

His overall philosophy depends on liberal ideas against the monarchy. He had much influenced by Hegel
a political philosopher and also from the industrial revolution. He writes his Dialectical Materialism from
the influence of Hegel. He was a radical thinker also who’s think about the society to move on the
progressive way. They compare socialism with science, and give a practical reason to the labor class and
call them they wanted to stand for their equal rights in the society.

“Marx says that a laborer dig his own grave to do work for his owner”

He was focused on actual state of matter. He says that propitiates have revolutionary power. He was a
political reformer also and has the idea of reformation of society from monarchy system to democratic
state. He had much focused on science rather than religion. He was died march 17 in 1883 in London. He
works in every field of life science anthropology semiotics sociology philosophy and cultural studies. On
the death of Marx Engel says that I am with my brother I left him for a while and then come back he had
leaved me forever and sit on his chair silently.

“Accumulation of prosperity at one dowel is at the same time growth of sadness unawareness violence
cerebral squalor at the contrary dowel”.

Marxism

“Marx says that all actions depends on economy”

He says economy is a tool to by satisfaction and this is usually use now a day in the current society.
Economy and satisfaction varies person to person. Karl Marx and Fredric Engels both was the founder of
communism. They struggled for the rights of lower class. There joint work communist manifesto written
in January 1848 and publish in February 1848. They both were German philosophers, Marx father wanted
that he become a doctor but he had interest in politics and philosophy. He was inspired by philosopher
Hegel who was a political philosopher. He was exiled from many places. When he reached France with
his wife he meets Engels in 1844. They become close friends and again they were both exiled from
France and then reached Belgium where the both wrote a book “THE CONDITION OF WORKING
CLASS IN ENGLAND”.

Dialectical materialism

It is divided into two dimensions dialectics and materialism dialectics means discussion and materialism
means of production the material words needs of human beings he derive his idea from the philosophy of
Hegel that mind is primary then the material world Marx give his stance oppose to the Hegel and said that
our mind is secondary then material needs.

Productive forces, is our considerate of nature and fabrication our ability to create.

Relations of production are the public relation we construct in the producers of doing labor. Property is
the officially permitted name for affairs of fabrication.

Mode of production is another name of financial system (e.g. feudalism capitalism socialism). A financial
system made up of the calculation whole of all the affairs of fabrication.

Means of production is another name of financial possessions.

Alienation is a type of division of labor from their manufactured goods.

There is a class division middle class lower class Elite class higher class lower middle class middle class
a culture is made up of classes a class is set of people with a common affiliation to the means of
production financial resources. In any culture there are those who manage financial resources and those
who not. The lawful shape of this control over means of fabrication is called property. Hence classes are
defined in term of possession of land.

Feudalism, rise with the destruction of Rome in 5 th century and come to an end with the rise of capitalist
society. It is called the Dark Age in Europe.

Base and superstructure

Base means economics and superstructure means of production. Marx says that our superstructure depend
on our base.

Dictatorship of the proletariat

The era of radical alteration of one into the other corresponds to a political change time in which the state
can be nothing, but the radical autocracy of the proletariat Marx on the fleeting step between capitalism
and communist civilization the dictatorship of the preliterate emerges as an effect of a successful socialist
revolution against the bourgeoisie state. The principle task of despotism is to built a new socialist society
organize the financial life of society to build a new kind of financial system.

The authority of working class together with all other working people tear down capitalism and construct
a new culture, society without antagonistic classes and exploitation. Once the classless society is
recognized the procedure of sneering away of the state will be fulfilled vanishing completely leading to a
classless stateless society.
Before communism capitalism and socialism were in power, capitalism means private property means
competition on the other hand socialism not private rather equal rights for everyone.

Neo Marxism

It rises in 20th century based on the early writings of Marx dialectical idealism. It begins the ideas of Max
Weber’s and his higher consideration of public disparity such as status and power to Marxist conventional
thought. The new thinking’s are divergent to inequalities practiced by minor residential countries in a
globalized world.

The Frankfurt School of Marxism

It is an unofficial phrase used to mean the meeting of protester. They consider that some of Marx
suspected clique have typically protected conventional communist or social independent parties. Marxists
of the school are inclined particularly by the breakdown of working class rebellion in western Europe
after world war 1 and by the climb of Nazism in an inexpensively scientifically and ethnically proceed
population. They work to discover which part of Marx’s thought may provide to elucidate societal
circumstances which Marx himself had never seen.

Cultural Marxism

Cultural Marxism is a kind of Marxism that adds an investigation of the function of media ability theater
movie and other civilizing institution in a civilization, frequently with an extra accent on contest and sex
in accumulation to class. It gain power in 1920 and was a sculpt use by Frankfort school.

Analytical Marxism

A technique of judgment concerning Marxism that was famous in the 1980. It was mainly linked with the
September group of academics since they employ to have biennial gathering to converse ordinary
attention in unreliable locations.

Marxist Humanist

It is a type of Marxism with the purpose of mainly focuses on Marx early writing especially the financial
and philosophic manuscript of 1844. He uncovered the theory of Alienation which divergent his afterward
mechanism and are alarmed more with his arrangement beginning of capitalist civilization. It was
divergent by Louis Althusser anti humanist who skilled it as revisionist group.

Marxist Feminist

It is Marx stances about the liberation of Female in the society paying attention on dismantle of private
enterprise as a method to liberate women. Capitalism give grow to financial variation reliance political
puzzlement and harmful communal relation between men and women which is the origin of women
domination.

Communism

They compare socialism with science, and give a practical reason to the labor class and call them they
wanted to stand for their equal rights in the society.

“Marx says that a laborer dig his own grave to do work for his owner”

There are two dimensions Base and Superstructure which discusses here, Base means economics and
Superstructure means of production societies norms, values, EST. He says our base construct our
superstructure. In capitalist society means of production have been introduced means private property.
The good aspect of capitalist society was that they were more emotive and creative. For the sack of profit
they introduced new products in the market. Socialist was not innovative and creative but peaceful for
peoples equal rights.

Here are some prominent figures of Communism were Vladimir Lenin Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong.

In a communist society means of production were owned by the community. Marx says that there are two
stages of communism upper stage communism and lower stage communism. In lower stage of
communism there is a division of labor existing and dictatorship of the preliterate also exist. The rights of
bourgeois class will remain in this stage and this is the existence of inequality in the communism which
diverge communism from socialism than the lower stage of communism called socialism which have
some flexibility and upper stage is communism which has no flexibility.

Post Marxism

They stand for the abstract work of philosopher and communal philosopher ahead those of Marx and
Marxist exceeds the boundary of those theories in ways that puts them exterior Marxism. It began with
the essential creed of Marxism move away as of the style fabrication as an initial spot of investigation. It
includes factor other than class such as sex civilization and an impulsive association between the base and
the superstructure.

Revolutionary subjectivity of Marx

There are consequently three essential circumstances to Marx’s theory of revolutionary subjectivity:
revolutionary subjectivity is distinct all the way through the prism of creative action; it emerges at hand
through both objective and subjective factors; its aim is the capture of political power and the institution
of a classless society. It further discuses by some post Marxist philosophers.

Vladimir Lenin

His full name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanove born on April 22, 1870. He was known as Lenin a
revolutionary politician of Russia he was also the follower of Marx ideology of communism. He passes
his high school degree and won gold medal. He wants to be a lawyer and got admission in Kazan
University because of joining revolutionary party he had struck off from university. He belongs to an
educated family, and his whole family members were highly impressed by Marx. Then he completes his
law degree in Saint Petersburg University. He was influenced by Marx Das Capital and more influence
by the novel of Nicuali “What is to be done”.

He moves toward Saint Petersburg and took part in some revolutionary activities, and also met with
philosophers which were equal in thought to him. Then he exiled to Siberia and here he married with a
girl. After three years of his exile he came back to Saint Petersburg and started his political activities. In
1904 a war starts between Russia and Germany and Russia lose the battle, which become tension for
common people. He was against the war he exiled second time in the time of 1 st world war and then he
moved to Germany, here he wrote a book the imperialism, The Highest stage of Capitalism in which he
mention that wars begin by the result of international capitalism. After his arrival in Germany he starts
revolution and makes his own Army with the name of Red Army. He succeeded to make the world
greatest communist politics. But because of civil war people face much of poverty and the laborers and
peasants stood against Lenin.

Leninism

An approach to suggest a revolution which replaces capitalism with socialism with no huge level class
consciousness and it’s also called Marxism-Leninism.

He was the believer of Marx but also differ in some sort to him. He says the revolution is possible in core
peripheries nation not in the central Europe. Second thing is that in Marx point of view the democratic
political party is not explicitly mention, but Lenin introduce this and says that if you want revolution so
you should make a revolutionary party first. In Marx writing we have not seen the role of state but Lenin
says that the role of state is much important in revolutionary socialism which is the first step toward
communism.

Mao Zedong

Mao was also known as Chairman Mao born on December 26(1893) in Shaoshan China. He considers the
founding father of revolution and communist league in china. He was the believer of Marx and Lenin and
his works and philosophies known as Maoism. He belongs to a poor family and his father was a farmer.
He starts his early education in the age of eight from his country side school. He faces too much poverty
and leaves his school to help out his father in farms. Then he joins army and after few years leave to
restart his education and got a job of Liberian in the university, and this was the time when he spends his
too much time in reading books, and the result of this reading he got much influenced by communist
ideas.
 In 1923 he joins communist party and within two years he becomes the commissioner of his senior
committee. Then he establishes his red army with 45thousend soldiers and more than 2lacks of common
people. When he lost his position he starts a revolution with the name of long march of ninety six
kilometer almost in one year and becomes the strongest leader of the communist party in china and he
gets favor from other parties. This was the time when a war start between china and Japan and he starts a
campaign against Japan and in 1939 he becomes succeeded to in his struggle and china became people
republic of china.

Dialectical Materialism

Mao believes that history or philosophy divided into two broad parts first one is idealism and second
materialism. In his point of view idealism is a sprite including consciousness, concept and subject. And
secondary is matter, object, society and nature. The materialism considers the independent existence of
matter as detached from sprite and sprite take as secondary means idealism is secondary.

The idealism is focus on the things that don’t exist in the world. Mao takes materialism and idealism in
the shape of class division in the society like upper class and lower class. He says that the upper classes
have a certain amount of privilege and with this privilege they are able to escape the toils of everyday life.
They allow the men to thinking about the things that are not necessary to have any relationship with the
real world. This is the arm chair philosopher image; they sit and contemplate the image of god. Whereas
lower class concerned with materialism because that is there life day by day they have to exist with world
work on soil they exist among other peoples and struggle to survive. They don’t have extra privilege to
explore the higher truths. The upper class views that the division of labor is necessary. While the
materialist think that people must engaged with each other.

The dialectical materialism tells us something about the knowledge; it tells that the social condition that is
real and material set the base for what knowledge is look like. He says that the social dialect is the
scientific epistemology. Science is more concerned with the material world. Epistemology is the scientific
study of the knowledge of the world. Dialectical materialism is the material study of the knowledge

He says that the dialectical materialism is investigating the world as a progressive movement from the
inorganic to the organic and from the highest forms of the movement of the matter society.

Mao was the believer of Marx base and superstructure model and also the follower of revolutionary party
of Lenin but he gave more importance to general struggle. Chinese revolution gives us the conception of
violence.

There are little differences between all the theories but the central argument is base and superstructure
model that the entire hard worker becomes one.

Antonio Gramsci

The founder of Italian communist party he was a philosopher and a politician. He was born on 22 January
1891. His father was arrested when he was only seven years old. He has some health issues forever. In
1911 he got a scholarship in university of Turin here he read Marx and all other philosophers. It was the
time of industrialization in Italy.

He joins Italian socialist party and leaves his education because his political ambitions were very high,
and he starts his political carrier. In 1919 he set up his own newspaper with the name of the new order. In
1921 he establishes communist party of Italy and become the leader. This was the time when fascism
arises.

This was the time when labor class and socialist movements were emerged very festally, like Bolshevik
revolution in Russia 1917, a surprising happening was happen in Italy that a leader of worker Gramsci
analyze that how Fascism arise in Italy. For the first time Fascism was rise in Italy, and the main figure of
this movement was Benito Mussolini, he started his movement that the follower of this movement will be
wear the black shirts. He was also the member of socialist party of Italy before starting this movement.

The name of his movement was “The Black Shirts Movement” and start saying that our biggest enemies
are communists and socialists first of all we will destroy them, and then starting destroying the unions
among the societies. The black shirts were succeeded to break the unions, and then Feudal lords were
very impressed by black shirt movement, and this was the foundation of Fascist movement.
The people who read the ideas of Nietzsche and later they become fascist, actually they were not
conservative peoples they were anti conservative and think that they are very radical people, because they
did not support the religion, tradition, custom, and conventional laws.

Hegemony

Gramsci was a neo Marxist. He wrote prison note books when he was in prison. The concept of cultural
hegemony is that the one culture dominates over the other one. He says that the capitalist people take
culture as an initial point to rule over the others. They make it as a medium. The basic concept is rule by
consent. They do so with ideology and culture, they make their ideology to impress the common people
and then play with their emotions. They also convert their ideology and view into world view. This is role
of cultural hegemony that the commoners cannot understand that we are ruled by capitalist.

Then he talks about the concept of superstructure which divided into two types’ political society and civil
society. Political society means army police politics law etc. civil society like family education society.
He says that the political society rule forcefully but the civil society has indirect rule, and this is the rule
of hegemony. He says that there is no violence in hegemony.

He talks about traditional intellectuals and organic intellectuals. He tells that the traditional intellectuals
are priest clergy and traditional peoples who continuously move in a same direction and they don’t have
much contribution in economy and society. On the other hand organic intellectuals are the peoples who
consider the emerging, who emerge with the passage of time like we people. They shape themselves with
the change of time and become the source of awareness and knowledge in their society.

Ernesto Laclau the concept of Hegemony and the people

Populism

The word populism was derived from the Greek word populus which means people. This is a philosophy
for commoners which make by politician to fulfill their needs and what they want. The political leader
takes advantage with the use of these terms and proves that they are in the side of common people. This is
widely used in the field of politics. An agenda which can be easily use by any politician for their own
advantage. This is medium leads to the destruction of democracy. And in future this can be proved as a
danger of any society. Actually this agenda is not wrong but the misuse of it makes it notorious.

The post Marxist stand for the abstract work of philosopher and communal philosopher ahead those of
Marx and Marxist exceeds the boundary of those theories in ways that puts them exterior Marxism. It
began with the essential creed of Marxism move away as of the style fabrication as an initial spot of
investigation. It includes factor other than class such as sex civilization and an impulsive association
between the base and the superstructure.

Laclau and Mouffe wrote a book “socialist strategies towards our radical democratic politics in 1985”
they give the actual stance of Marxism in this book. They say that Marxism will be alive if we think with
the open and positive mind and exploitation is a natural process, and we want to use the element of
acceptance rather than to show our authority.

There are three key concepts of post Marxism

Discourse, Hegemony, social struggle

Post Marxism got more focus on the nature of discourse second hegemony the dominancy of one culture
over the other and the last one is social struggle that every people from the working class face the social
struggle in the society. The concept give in the form of pyramid and it is a cyclic process. Discourse use
in the mother tongue decided by the government, so the common and working class people address his
problems easily to the government. Hegemony is the way through which one culture dominates over the
other one.

The last one social struggle according to Laclau and Mouffe social struggle is not is not internal rather it
is an external activity it is related with stop establishment of society. It is arise when peoples were not
treated equally.

Concepts of post Marxism, One gender base theory, State is an enemy of democracy and freedom, and
central planning is a component of bureaucracy.
Laclau take the idea of hegemony by Gramsci and the theory of interpellation by Althusser in his theory
of revolutionary subjectivity.

The concept of cultural hegemony is that the one culture dominates over the other one. He says that the
capitalist people take culture as an initial point to rule over the others. They make it as a medium. The
basic concept is rule by consent. They do so with ideology and culture, they make their ideology to
impress the common people and then play with their emotions. They also convert their ideology and view
into world view. This is role of cultural hegemony that the commoners cannot understand that we are
ruled by capitalist.

Then he talks about the concept of superstructure which divided into two types’ political society and civil
society. Political society means army police politics law etc. civil society like family education society.
He says that the political society rule forcefully but the civil society has indirect rule, and this is the rule
of hegemony. He says that there is no violence in hegemony.

He talks about traditional intellectuals and organic intellectuals. He tells that the traditional intellectuals
are priest clergy and traditional peoples who continuously move in a same direction and they don’t have
much contribution in economy and society. On the other hand organic intellectuals are the peoples who
consider the emerging, who emerge with the passage of time like we people. They shape themselves with
the change of time and become the source of awareness and knowledge in their society.

Althusser interpellation

Althusser says that we are all born as a subject because ideology precede that you are born into an
ideology, family, gender etc.

In this domain the he tells that how ruling class maintain our dominance in the society and also impose
their thoughts and ideas, the ideas that people consider them truth and manage their lives according to
them. This is the process of interpellation, and then it’s divided into different kinds like gender
interpellation (masculinity and femininity) and cultural interpellation (East and west).

Ideological state apparatus

Through this way we use educational system family system and mass media religious institution and
social organizations to construct ideology of a society in this type of ideology you have to be an obedient
citizen of the state in this apparatus we have the freedom of choice and we have not force to follow the
rules.

Repressive state apparatus

Suppress the people to build an ideology. Through the use of power government police army and other
authoritative forces construct forcefully an ideology, in this type of ideology you have to follow the
decorated decorum’s, and in this apparatus we have force to follow the assigned rules. They must follow
the capitalist point of view.

Laclau said with the aim of, in the ‘most recent instance’, admired elected resist was indomitable by class
struggle.

Antagonism

Antagonism is about the constitute democracy but also proposes the possibility of resolving the attention
is what create the harmony. The harmony is embedded in the very notion of antagonism more effort to
create a resolution.

Finally with his denial of dialectical logic Laclau split the all three circumstances which we recognized in
Marx’s theory of revolutionary subjectivity: revolutionary subjectivity has not essentially defined by
creative labor, it doesn’t appear entirely the intrinsic to capitalism, and finally there cannot be any social
closure.

Antonio Negri
He was an Italian philosopher, and also a political philosopher sociologist and Marxist. He was born on 1
august in 1933 in Italy. In 1969 he joins a worker power group and his most famous work is revolutionary
consciousness. After his exile in 1980 he was very influence by the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
This was the deliberate move in the thought of Negri.

Spinoza was born in 1632 in a Jewish family. By birth he had a religious loyalty. He starts his education
of Judaism in his early life he reads too much his religious books which makes him doubtful or unbeliever
of religion. He blamed by religious person that he is a rebellious and all the Jewish community has break
their relation with him.

Then he starts his life with christen and began writing and reading his philosophy. He starts his own
business of glosses for his survival. He wrote a book principle of philosophy. He was highly criticize and
abused by the people for his philosophical books.

Ethics is his most influential book which describes his overall philosophy. The objective of this book is
the objective of his philosophy is human blessedness, a blessedness that is inseparable from the
knowledge of the union existing between mind and the whole of nature.

To ultimate aim of human life is to understand the once place in the structure of the universe as a natural
expression of the essence of God.

Multitude and marvel in the expansion of Spinoza’s Political thinking’, is not anything but the authority
of the individuals that build it up. The purpose of diplomat democracy is to separate the multitudes
alongside itself by inventing fresh forms of transcendence and separation. This is the disparity amid
potestas and potentia in Spinoza. Potestas is the supremacy of authority, while potentia is definite force
and power of the multitude. In the social order of the manifestation the real ontological relation is
overturned, although almost authority came from potestas and not potentia.

Operaismo

Same as laclau theory of revolutionary subjectivity Negri theory is bases on the social and political
principle. Operaismo first emerge in 1960 in Italy. It is also known as Autonomism or Autonomist
Marxism which is considering as a set of anti capitalist left wing political and social movement. But
afterward the anarchist and communist become more powerful.

Georgy Katsiaficas says that Autonomism is in difference to the central judgment and hierarchical power
structure of current organization, autonomous social movement engaged people straightforwardly in
resolution touching their everyday lives. They look for spread out democratic system and to help out
individual break free of charge from political makeup and behavior patterns which are imposed by the
outsiders.

As other form of Marxism autonomist Marxism more emphasizes on the aptitude of the working class to
compel changes to the association of the capitalist system self-governing of the state, trade union or
political parties. Autonomists are fewer disturbed with parties’ political association while other Marxist,
focusing as an alternative on self prepared act external to conventional governmental makeup.

An approach to suggest a revolution which replaces capitalism with socialism with no huge level class
consciousness and it’s also called Marxism-Leninism.

He was the believer of Marx but also differ in some sort to him. He says the revolution is possible in core
peripheries nation not in the central Europe. Second thing is that in Marx point of view the democratic
political party is not explicitly mention, but Lenin introduce this and says that if you want revolution so
you should make a revolutionary party first. In Marx writing we have not seen the role of state but Lenin
says that the role of state is much important in revolutionary socialism which is the first step toward
communism.

The communist manifesto

Prominently, though, aligned with Marx and Engels’ passion for the expansion of the world marketplace
in The Communist Manifesto, empire is considered as an advanced improvement, which at last brings a
new potential to the services of liberation.

The practical or intent beginning to Negri established theory of revolutionary subjectivity lies in what the
idea of both authors ‘the common’. The common it is like a room which implicate ‘the languages we
generate, the communal services we set up, and the condition of emotionality in the society that define
our affiliations.

According to the Negri point of view the concept of the common is seems like an unlock ground and the
labor which lives here travel separately.

It is work like a train in which the outcome of the assembly of self-governing subjectivity and
collaborated singularity is build up and unite.

According to him the term common is the total of the whole thing which the labor power create separately
of landlord and alongside it next to the extra conservative couple of ‘public’ and ‘private’ figure of
possession, he argues that the common is essentially dissimilar, intended for eventually it provides the
practical beginning for the appearance of a fresh political masterpiece of labor, and therefore a
affirmatively fresh variety of revolutionary subjectivity. Now we also known as to this subjectivity are the
multitude.

The concept of the multitude is also essentially class subjectivity while owing to its practical work it is a
considerably further liberal variety of subjectivity than the working class.

In the point of view of Negri revolutionary subjectivity identify with the prism of prolific action, the
emergence of it can be clarify inversely to industrialist expansion, and the aim of it likewise engage
diverge at the stage of entirety. Although we have seen that the third form is a lot fewer straightforward,
for in Negri explanations this procedure should not engage the spasm of state authority and nor do this
procedure of necessity signify a conclusion to whole class opposition.

Alain Badiou

He was a French philosopher. He was born on 17 January 1937. He had joins more than one political
parties. He wrote his ma thesis on Spinoza ethics. He was also known as the founder of the united
socialist party (PSU). Althusser unites a group for study which he joins in 1967. He was highly influence
by Lacan. Then he joins the group of mathematician and inter in the field of mathematics.

He was also influence by Chinese philosopher Mao Zedong and his philosophy related to Marx
philosophy. His theory of revolutionary subjectivity start whit the idea of Maoism which is associated
with the conventional concept of Hegel dialectics.

According to Badiou point of view the concept of contradiction should understand like creative scission.
Focusing on the idea of the dialectic to the subject Badiou set up a division linking the working class and
the proletariat. While the people who work in form is located impartially in the affairs of manufacture, the
next step coming toward its revolutionary subjectification.

Near to Badiou the concept of subjactivization is like the beginning of the revolutionary subjectivity or in
his own words the time of insurrection. Badiou associate the concept of subject with the concept of
Maoist notion.

Badiou says that the role of proletariat is not pure and the party divided into two right and left wing
parties. Mao was the believer of Marx base and superstructure model and also the follower of
revolutionary party of Lenin but he gave more importance to general struggle. Chinese revolution gives
us the conception of violence.

Mao believes that history or philosophy divided into two broad parts first one is idealism and second
materialism. In his point of view idealism is a sprite including consciousness, concept and subject. And
secondary is matter, object, society and nature. The materialism considers the independent existence of
matter as detached from sprite and sprite take as secondary means idealism is secondary.

The dialectical materialism tells us something about the knowledge; it tells that the social condition that is
real and material set the base for what knowledge is look like. He says that the social dialect is the
scientific epistemology. Science is more concerned with the material world. Epistemology is the scientific
study of the knowledge of the world. Dialectical materialism is the material study of the knowledge

He says that the dialectical materialism is investigating the world as a progressive movement from the
inorganic to the organic and from the highest forms of the movement of the matter society.

Concept of Event
In Badiou point of view events can happen in four essential area of human way of life love, science, art,
and politics. Also for our objectives the mainly significant variety of event is politics, which is in the
consideration of Badiou distinguishing in the logic that the type of subjectivity that regularly stalks since
it is essentially a united one.

Communist Hypothesis

He introduces the idea of communist hypothesis to influence by the both Mao and Lenin. He think that if
Lenin was loyal to Paris commune and Mao also loyal to Russian revolution means loyalty of both
primary the idea of communism and further usually the idea of communist hypothesis.

At the first step actualization the communist hypothesis was related with admired revolutions alongside
the state, with the objective of devastating the previous sort with the organization of the group of people
of equals. At the second stage of the communist hypothesis was to effort and to several point be
successful in positioning the communist hypothesis addicted to exercise.

Revolutionary subjectivity of Badiou nowadays catches up a constant loyalty to the chronological

The opposition of Badiou idea from Marx is on revolutionary subjectivity is that, Badiou revolutionary
subjectivity is not label with the scope of creative action, it appear only incompletely intrinsic to that
which it approaches to transform, and it have to not engage the spasm of state authority. And the
relationship or communality with is just on the basis of similarity with Mao.

Discussion and analysis

The researcher analyze the novel “The Magpie” with the notion of revolutionary subjectivity of post
Marxist thought, through many different perspective regarding different writers, to deals with the notion
of revolutionary subjectivity of post Marxist thought.

Firstly it is discuss with the ideas of Antonio Negri Operaismo, communist manifesto, and Spinoza notion
of human blessedness.

The researcher catches out such events from the text of the novel which are related to these ideas. To start
the analysis with the notion of Negri concept of Operaismo

Operaismo is also known as Autonomism or Autonomist Marxism which is considering as a set of anti
capitalist left wing political and social movement. But afterward the anarchist and communist become
more powerful.

Georgy Katsiaficas says that Autonomism is in difference to the central judgment and hierarchical power
structure of current organization, autonomous social movement engaged people straightforwardly in
resolution touching their everyday lives. They look for spread out democratic system and to help out
individual break free of charge from political makeup and behavior patterns which are imposed by the
outsiders.

In the first part of the novel when the protagonist Craig was on dinner with Nason’s family they all
discuss about the political matter and Reverend George Bentley ask from Mr. Nason that tell us about the
condition of England and insist him to do so. Mr. Nason tells that “on Sunday when the unrest stop I get
to Liverpool. The crowd ruined over the supplies and hand over the material away and separated it on the
road. The port was beneath the defense of a pair of gunboats and more than fifty ships were coupled. The
people have been waiting for taking a way to back throughout compensation the funds they depleted on
the war. At this moment they understand how unworkable it is. The administration is hauling money
owing of regarding eight billion pounds and is expenditure concerning eight times as a great deal as it
depleted the year previous to the war. The trade system of Japan, United States and Great Britain and
their sell abroad trade is in an awful situation. Now Europe is seem to be onward to five years that will be
very rigid to live from side to side as the most recent four years of conflict. Unemployment is seen
everywhere and people demand for revolution. There is not any rest of war in Ireland. He says that I have
no word to tell the sorrow of the people of England. He says that every day I’m pray and thanked god that
I am live in Canada not in England.

I am not wanted to face the condition like such people of England. When Jeannette says that if one can
teach them that war is a foolish business Nason replies that they are talk for another war. She ask that who
are talk for war then he replies that every one much unemployed person. Then Gilbert Nason mention her
and Craig that you are both seems like little a Bolshevik bloom with joy on the name of Lenin.

The discussion of these people on the topic of the current situation of England shows that the concept of
Russian revolution and the enthusiasm of Bolsheviks clearly seen here, like Mr. Nason description of
labor exploitation and the protest of unemployed people who talked about revolution is actually fulfill the
demands of Autonomist Marxism or Operaismo, this is the rise of Operaismo since people give stand for
their basic rights.

In the same part of the novel we see that when Bentley and Craig discuss a different topic in the corner of
the room they discuss about the coming years of England and France that a civil war seems to break up in
coming few years in and also a bloody revolution. They talk that if we have to stop it to come in to here
then we have to get aid from the soldier who come from the front in the previous war they have power to
control them and start a political generation for our next generation, and if they will do so well then what
else will be better than that for us.

Here they make a plan to stop revolution in their own country and this idea meets Lenin notion of
Leninist Marxism An approach to suggest a revolution which replaces capitalism with socialism with no
huge level class consciousness and it’s also called Marxism-Leninism.

He was the believer of Marx but also differ in some sort to him. He says the revolution is possible in core
peripheries nation not in the central Europe. Second thing is that in Marx point of view the democratic
political party is not explicitly mention, but Lenin introduce this and says that if you want revolution so
you should make a revolutionary party first. In Marx writing we have not seen the role of state but Lenin
says that the role of state is much important in revolutionary socialism which is the first step toward
communism.

Here we see that the they fulfill the demands of Lenin ideas since they want peace in their country first
they make a plan to make a party with front solider of the previous war, and then they want a democratic
state so the role of state is clearly seen here which is explicitly mention in the idea of Lenin.

Now move forward with the notion of Spinoza Ethics is his most influential book which describes his
overall philosophy. The objective of this book is the objective of his philosophy is human blessedness, a
blessedness that is inseparable from the knowledge of the union existing between mind and the whole of
nature.

To ultimate aim of human life is to understand the once place in the structure of the universe as a natural
expression of the essence of God.

In the last chapter of the first part of the novel is deal with the idea of Spinoza when the man of
newspaper Croker tell his philosophy to Craig that world is the most beautiful and decent place if the
people do not nuisance from other one.

Its appear once more when Craig the story of happiest moments of his life to Marion, he use some word
and says that these are the words of my father, Worry is bad medicine. Then he tells her that we were very
happy here and also we have good neighbor like Mr. Lane and his daughter.

If we analyze the character of our protagonist Craig so we can find all the qualities of Spinoza in him and
deals with all affairs of his life like Spinoza himself.

All these examples prove that the theory of revolutionary subjectivity of Antonio Negri is applied on the
novel and all the characters of the novel deals with the notion of Negri.

Now further move toward the idea of Alain Badiou he was also the believer of Marx and his theory of
revolutionary subjectivity focus on the concept of subjactivization is like the beginning of the
revolutionary subjectivity or in his own words the time of insurrection. Badiou associate the concept of
subject with the concept of Maoist notion.

Mao believes that history or philosophy divided into two broad parts first one is idealism and second
materialism. In his point of view idealism is a sprite including consciousness, concept and subject. And
secondary is matter, object, society and nature. The materialism considers the independent existence of
matter as detached from sprite and sprite take as secondary means idealism is secondary.
The dialectical materialism tells us something about the knowledge; it tells that the social condition that is
real and material set the base for what knowledge is look like. He says that the social dialect is the
scientific epistemology. Science is more concerned with the material world. Epistemology is the scientific
study of the knowledge of the world. Dialectical materialism is the material study of the knowledge

If we observe that the novel is all about the concept of dialectal materialism to prove it I have quoted
some examples from the text. Mr. Blount discuss the concept of modern and materialist society, also
civilization and the progress he says that civilization and the progress are the same things. He says we
have to learn the way of progress from Germany if it is better for the world as a place of peace for living.

Firstly in the start of the novel when Craig father ask him to do or learn how to do business gray and sent
him to the city to join the party of Winnipeg Grain Exchange for his business. It is totally materialistic
point of view which we can see in the text. Then the conversation of jimmy and Craig the materialistic
point of view when they discuss about the property of jimmy’s wife Millie,

If we analyze it idealist point of view so we have an idealist or Methodist in the novel Reverend George
Bentley he consider to be an ideal person his conversation and debate on the night party over the matter of
strike in Canada, according to Mao he is an idealist since he belongs to upper class. Mao says that upper
class peoples are idealist and the peoples of lower class are materialist.

Again in the same part of the novel Mr. Nason and his entire companion on the dining table discuss and
make a plan which is in the mind of Mr. Nason from a month or ago. It is a plan to agree the churches of
Christ to favor them to stop war which is favorable for all humanity. He says we have to start a campaign
and insist them to help us to do so. And also held a weekly discussion in which people are place their
problems. Chapter three of part two is all about the materialistic knowledge and thought which apparently
deals with the trading. Gilbert Nason was very famous in this domain because he invests his money in
pulp paper mill. And he knows how to handle the worker in Adanac metal work, so all this scenario leads
us to the materialistic knowledge of the world. He also wants to learn the modern methods of business.

So this is all about the materialistic approach toward the materialistic knowledge of the world. These
examples from the text help to prove the notion of Badiou.

The next step is the concept of event in Badiou point of view. In Badiou point of view events can happen
in four essential area of human way of life love, science, art, and politics. Also for our objectives the
mainly significant variety of event is politics, which is in the consideration of Badiou distinguishing in the
logic that the type of subjectivity that regularly stalks since it is essentially a united one.

We have related the concept of event with overall novel because the names of the first two parts of the
novel mentioned by the names of the girls who was the love of the protagonist.

We can see all these four dimensions in the novel in the first part of the novel Craig was in love with the
girl Merion and propose her to marry with him and they got married at the end of the part one or probably
in the start of part two, chapter one of part two is almost tells about the love and relationship of Craig and
Merion. After that the story of love of Jeannette has overall in chapter three. Another love of the
protagonist was the daughter of the farmer Lane, Martha.

And if we talk about the politics so we can see in the entire novel that they all talk about politics and the
political condition of England and all the European union.

We can also see the event of art in part two when Merion visit the library and also seen in the first part of
the novel when Mr. Nason talk about the Oscar wild and Shelley to reformed the society after the
disturbance of war which makes life baron. Here in part two he also talk about the fairy tales and the story
of the Prince of Wales.

The next idea of Badiou is his communist hypothesis the first step actualization the communist hypothesis
was related with admired revolutions alongside the state, with the objective of devastating the previous
sort with the organization of the group of people of equals. At the second stage of the communist
hypothesis was to effort and to several point be successful in positioning the communist hypothesis
addicted to exercise.

At the first stage of his hypothesis the revolution is began and then move toward its practice. So we can
see in the part two of the novel Jeannette wants revolution and wants to make it possible to save humanity
in peace in the world.
In part two chapter one part two of the novel they discuss about the Bolshevik revolution that the
revolution arise as a black cloud and sucked all the civilization of Europe and France. So their discussion
on revolution and the way of describing it shows that it is slowly arise a cloud and then festally spread out
all over the sky and then started rain and after rain everything become normal and a barren land converted
into a fertilize one.

After dealing with Negri notions with the help of examples from the text we have reach on a conclusion
that the novel fulfills the demands of Negri ideas.

So moving forward the last step describes the ideas of laclau, hegemony, populism, and interpellation.
Basically he was the first with his co author Mouffe who interpret the work of Marx and deconstruct it;
actually they were the first post-Marxist author. Now further move toward Laclau idea of revolutionary
subjectivity which is again given by Marx and further interpreted.

He was influence by the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci and his idea of hegemony. Gramsci was a
neo Marxist. He wrote prison note books when he was in prison. The concept of cultural hegemony is that
the one culture dominates over the other one. He says that the capitalist people take culture as an initial
point to rule over the others. They make it as a medium. The basic concept is rule by consent. They do so
with ideology and culture, they make their ideology to impress the common people and then play with
their emotions. They also convert their ideology and view into world view. This is role of cultural
hegemony that the commoners cannot understand that we are ruled by capitalist.

In part one chapter two of two the conversation of the protagonist Craig and his friend jimmy on the topic
of labor exploitation and the class domination that one class dominate over the other one and here Craig
says that now no one want to do so, so how would we think so then jimmy replies that it is not possible on
earth till two people live together. He says that the powerful one want to beat the weak one and do so
what he wants. So we can see that the conversation of these two people show that the cultural hegemony
is present in the novel. Another event in the novel which shows the cultural hegemony is when Mr.
Blount and Jeanette discuss their intention about the society, so here writer says that it is impossible that
Blount feel save for anything out of his greed. He also talk about Jeanette that she should have to accept
the existence of the world in which the dominated class replace his authority on other one.

Moving forward researcher has shed light on the concept of superstructure which divided into two types’
political society and civil society. Political society means army police politics law etc. civil society like
family education society. He says that the political society rule forcefully but the civil society has indirect
rule, and this is the rule of hegemony. He says that there is no violence in hegemony.

In all over the novel we can see that the novel depends on the materialistic thought, because they all talk
about the political life of Europe and the business affairs. All the business men show as civil society and
on the hand in the last part of the novel the man named Tuttle held a speech on the political affairs in
Victorian park on the opposite side the man Amer who was against him he was on the side of labor class
and poor. So this all situation prove that the civil society play the role of hegemony instead of political
part, since political party attack directly instead of indirect attack like civil society.

Now the next step is the concept of traditional intellectuals and organic intellectuals. He tells that the
traditional intellectuals are priest clergy and traditional peoples who continuously move in a same
direction and they don’t have much contribution in economy and society. On the other hand organic
intellectuals are the peoples who consider the emerging, who emerge with the passage of time like we
people. They shape themselves with the change of time and become the source of awareness and
knowledge in their society.

Applying this concept on the novel we can observe that in the first part of the novel Mr. Nason makes a
plan to save humanity with the help of haring churches and the priest to get aid from them. He says that if
the churches and priest help us so we have succeed easily and festally to gain our goal. So here we can
see the role of traditional intellectual which does not change their tradition with the passage of time on the
other hand commoners like Mr. Nason and the protagonist who easily mold himself according to the
current situation.

If we analyze the novel according to the point of Althusser ( interpellation ), says that we are all born as a
subject because ideology precede that you are born into an ideology, family, gender etc.
In this domain he tells that how ruling class maintain our dominance in the society and also impose their
thoughts and ideas, the ideas that people consider them truth and manage their lives according to them.
This is the process of interpellation, and then it’s divided into different kinds like gender interpellation
(masculinity and femininity) and cultural interpellation (East and west).

Here we see in the entire novel that they all talk about the business and profit and money and revolution
and politics etc, because the revolution start first in Russia and they all influence by them, and they also
influenced by the game of golf and the game of bridge which first start in European union and Turkey.
European Union is strong in the entire world because they know how to capture other through using some
strategies. They impose their ideology through using certain ways. Like the use of priest and churches to
catch the emotions of the people toward them. So these examples explain the idea of Althusser that the
dominated classes impose their ideology using several strategies.

Our last concern is the concept of populism the word populism was derived from the Greek word populus
which means people. This is a philosophy for commoners which make by politician to fulfill their needs
and what they want. The political leader takes advantage with the use of these terms and proves that they
are in the side of common people. This is widely used in the field of politics. An agenda which can be
easily use by any politician for their own advantage. This is medium leads to the destruction of
democracy. And in future this can be proved as a danger of any society. Actually this agenda is not wrong
but the misuse of it makes it notorious.

In the last chapter of part one, we see when Ayer, Charnley and they all set on a table discussing political
affairs and coming election. Their objective is how to defeat Mr. Wilson in coming election. Their
intentions show that they want their own dominance to driven the commoners.

In part two of the novel the conversation of Mrs. Blount and Mrs. Nason toward humanity, show that the
intention of Mrs. Blount is materialistic and fulfill the needs of populist ideas. He talks about the idea that
we are not born equal. In part two of the novel the conversation of Craig and Gilbert Nason when Nason
was very concerned about the crises at factory and he get aid from Mr. Blount he now very well how to
deal with workers. He would offer every man and woman in the state twenty-four hours to utter that
where they situated. And persons who didn’t like the state might get to the torment out of it.

So all these examples taken from the text prove that the novel fulfill the demands of the Laclau point of
view of revolutionary subjectivity.

Conclusion

After analyzing this novel The Magpie I have reached on a conclusion that the novel has some reflection
of the post Marxists idea of revolutionary subjectivity. Focusing on the philosophies or notions of Alain
Badiou, Antonio Negri and Ernesto Laclau who are interpret the idea of Marx revolutionary subjectivity
and give their own stances on them while interpreting the novel. There are consequently three essential
circumstances to Marx’s theory of revolutionary subjectivity: revolutionary subjectivity is distinct all the
way through the prism of creative action; it emerges at hand through both objective and subjective
factors; its aim is the capture of political power and the institution of a classless society. It further
discuses by some post Marxist philosophers. The novel is all about the story of the people who belongs to
the materialistic ideologies and permanently focus on the political affairs of European union and also the
Russian revolution and discuss the matter of business and commerce, and also some love affairs and
romantic episode including the scenario of strikes of labor class. Novel is almost about the modern affairs
and problems of life. Most of the focus of this analysis is on the conversations of the characters and their
interior thoughts. The entire novel revolves around the family of Mr. Nason and the relation of Craig the
protagonist. This paper analyze through the thought of Antonio Negri, Alain Badiou and Ernesto Laclau
giving examples from the text. These examples show that the novel The Magpie fulfill all the
requirements of the revolutionary subjectivity of post-Marxist thoughts.