Abstract
The author refers to the fact that Marxist analyses have a way of promoting cynicism, and states that if one chooses to go through life armoured in illusion, this type of analysis should be avoided at all costs. He refers to a method of analysis which undertakes a thorough re-evaluation of South African history of the past century which uses, broadly speaking, insights based on Marxism. A discussion of this method forms the theme of this paper. This discussion centres on the Marxist typification of the South African social structure as a capitalist one with specific characteristics, and on the view of this approach which indicates the close relationship between capitalist development and political policies in the country. In the final analysis attention is directed to the need for taking serious note of this approach in terms of the fact that a Marxist approach can provide a valid perspective on South African history. There is also a need to take cognizance of this approach in view of the fact that this approach reflects the experience of a large part of the population. The author points out that the question as to whether apartheid and capitalism can be said to stand in a disfunctional relationship is seriously questioned, and he concludes by maintaining that a precondition for dialogue with all Blacks in South Africa is to be found in the necessity of gaining clarity about the validity of our own preconceptions.Copyright information
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